


Under the Surface

by pherryt



Series: Big Bangs and Other Collaborations [11]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alone, Bad Pasts, Domestic, Fantasy AU, Finding Shelter, Fluff and Angst, Found Family, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Magic, Multi, Multiple POV's, Mutual Pining, Pining, Prophecy, Shapeshifting, Shifters, Sick!Dean, Storms, Traveling Together, Werewolf AU, Wolves, but not really by choice, cast out, hurt!Dean, loner!cas, not a/b/o, spells, touch starved
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-01
Updated: 2021-02-01
Packaged: 2021-03-17 16:28:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 25,842
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29103324
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pherryt/pseuds/pherryt
Summary: Dean was kicked out of his pack because he couldn't turn into his wolf, but shifters aren't meant to be alone. He finds a traveling companion in Benny, who's been on the run from his own pack for years and is desperately lonely. It goes well enough, except that Dean keeps getting sick and Benny doesn't know why, so when they find what appears to be an abandoned village, they take refuge - only to find a lone wolf still lives there and he's not too happy to find strangers in his home.
Relationships: Castiel/Benny Lafitte/Dean Winchester, destiny - Relationship
Series: Big Bangs and Other Collaborations [11]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1757914
Comments: 51
Kudos: 62
Collections: Destiny Big Bang





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woot! I've been sitting on this for a while, waiting for posting! I know, I know - I said I wasn't signing up for anything big again for a while, but when I saw there was going to be a Destiny Big Bang - well, I knew I had to!
> 
> This was simultaneously a lot of fun and absolutely agonizing to write - some parts just flowed and some parts fought me, but in the end, and a little bit of help from my beta - [FPwoper](https://archiveofourown.org/users/FPwoper) \- I was able to wrangle it into a shape that I was quite pleased with. Thank you so much!!
> 
> Also, please check out the wonderful art made by my artist MissJenniferB! (You can find her here on [ A03](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Missjenniferb) /[ Tumblr](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/view/missjenniferb)) It was the perfect touch! 
> 
> Link to the Art Masterpost with lots and lots of gorgeous wolves: [ Here ](https://jenniferb-art.tumblr.com/post/641899280706289664/new-session-archive-of)

##  DEAN

* * *

Dean groaned. 

He was hot and achy as hell, moving forward as if through sludge. He tried to focus on the signs Benny was leaving as he scouted ahead, but his vision was blurring.

He didn’t even realize he’d come to a stop and slumped down against the base of a tree, till he felt the brush of fur, briefly, against his hand.

Forcing his gritty eyes open, Dean saw the gray speckled wolf shift into Benny. Benny’s hand rested against Dean’s forehead a bare instant, pulling away with a hiss.

“Fuck, cher, but you’re burning up.”

“Don’ worry ‘bout me,” Dean slurred.

Benny gave him a strange look Dean couldn’t figure out, his head swimming far too much for coherent thoughts right now. Seconds later, a canteen was placed against Dean’s lips and he fumbled to grab it, drinking the lukewarm water greedily. It felt blessedly cool in comparison to how hot he felt.

Guiltily, he pushed the canteen away after another couple of swallows he couldn’t resist taking. He closed his eyes, letting his head loll listlessly against the trunk of the tree. “What’re you doin’? Holdin’ yourself back for me. I’m useless.”

“I ain’t leavin’ ya,” Benny said calmly.

“You let me tag along on the promise I’d be watchin’ your back,” Dean said, trying to raise his hand and wave it around but it flopped down uselessly at his side. “Don’ think I’m doin’ much of that right now. Just slowin’ ya down.”

“Never you mind that,” Benny said. “Think I found us somewhere to hole up. Think you can hold on to me?”

“Huh?” Dean asked stupidly, eyes opening up to stare at Benny in confusion.

“I’m gonna carry you, cher,” Benny explained slowly, as if Dean were a child. He might as well have been. Couldn’t even _ shift _ for Moon’s sake.

“Why?” Dean’s voice cracked. His own pack hadn’t wanted him. His own  _ father  _ had chased him out. Dean was only a burden.

Benny sighed, shifted, and pressed his gigantic bulk against Dean. He’d rarely seen a wolf bigger than Benny. Benny huffed at him impatiently, but didn’t move a muscle till Dean groaned and with great effort, climbed onto Benny’s back. He did his best to hold on as Benny took a testing step, then another. Soon Benny was going at an easy lope. Not quite a walk, nor a run, the landscape - all thick trees and underbrush - blurring as it went past all the same.

Dean slumped forward, his face burrowing into Benny’s fur as the muscles shifted and moved underneath him. He drifted off, roused only when Benny’s stride slowed, going cautious. Leaning back, Dean looked around feverishly.

Benny had found a… it wasn’t a town. It was too small for that. But a series of small, interconnected buildings were clustered around a central clearing, leading up to a bigger one built right into the side of a cliff. 

The place looked deserted. Most of the buildings in some sort of disrepair, nature starting to reclaim some of them.

Dean tried to sit up, get a better feel of the area, but he went dizzy when he tried, and he slipped off of Benny instead, hitting the ground with a thud that took his breath away. He lay still, watching the sky above him spin. He whimpered as he was picked up, the world jostling around him so badly he had to close his eyes. The vertigo didn’t go away, but at least it lessened some.

Then he was deposited on something, he heard Benny talking and then… nothing. Dean’s awareness faded. Maybe he slept, he wasn’t sure. All sleep was fitful, lately. Bits and spurts and nothing really at all restful. 

When Dean shuddered awake, he was sweating and weaker than before. There were voices nearby, though, and that was concerning. He’d been on his own - and then with Benny and only Benny - for ages. Running, running, running from their pasts and more voices meant something bad, meant they’d been found.

Heaving himself up, Dean stumbled through darkness his all too human eyes couldn't peirce, trying to reach Benny, to help him - 

“For Moon’s sake, Dean,” Benny’s voice, deep and soothing, was in Dean’s ears, his hands catching at Dean’s shoulders. “You’re supposed to be restin’.”

“Benny,” Dean croaked, his throat like fire.

“What are you doing?”

“Helping you. Voices. I heard - “ or had he? He was feverish, dizzy. Maybe he’d imagined it. Dean leaned into Benny’s side hard. “I thought…” He couldn’t hold on to the thought.

“There’s no danger, Dean,” Benny said soothingly, easing him back over to a corner of whatever building they’d taken shelter in.

“No danger?” Dean asked. That wasn’t right. Benny’d been running from something, something bad. Dean had been running too but there was nobody after him, nobody cared enough that he’d gone. Dean had just been hoping to find some place that wouldn’t care that he was broken, but Benny… “They haven’t found us?”

“No,” Benny said. “Mighta found help, though.”

Dean’s blood ran cold under the fever, goosebumps prickling at his skin. Benny had found help and Dean was currently useless. How long before Benny left Dean’s ass behind in favor of the help he’d found? Shit, shit, shit **,** Dean would be alone again. He didn’t think he could handle that. Not again. And shit, Dean  _ liked  _ Benny. What were the odds he’d find someone else like him?

He didn’t realize he was whining till Benny started hushing him. “It’s okay, it's safe. We’ll get you better, okay?”

Better. He had to get better, so Benny would keep him around. Dean didn’t do so well on his own, and Benny -- Benny was good. Better than Dean had feared by a long shot. He’d been gruff, but patient. Never made Dean feel worse than he already did about being unable to shift. He accepted Dean as he was, something very few people had done in the Winchester pack.

Too bad his father’s word had been law. 

“I’ll get better,” Dean promised. “Don’t leave me behind.” Never mind that he’d insisted Benny do just that a few hours ago. He didn’t want Benny to go. Dean’s fingers were pried away from Benny’s shirt as he was eased down and he couldn’t remember clinging to Benny at all, but another wave of dizziness passed through Dean and then blackness swallowed him again.

* * *

##  CASTIEL

* * *

Castiel watched the strangers from a distance as they approached his home. His first instinct was to chase them off, but that would have meant revealing himself. He was just grateful the wind was in the right direction to bring him  _ their  _ scents and not his to them. 

And then another sniff made him stiffen, the scent of sickness thick in the air, and his resolve to stay hidden weakened.

If one or both of them were sick, they could stay here for some time, using the ruins of his pack’s home as their shelter while they recovered. They might even decide to stay here permanently. There would be no way for him to stay hidden then. The tunnels would only serve to hide him for so long if he retreated there. He’d need to leave for hunting, for supplies, had to tend the herb and vegetable garden and look after the bees. There’d be no way to avoid them in such close proximity.

And they might need help.

No, no one had helped his pack when that rogue one had passed through. They hadn’t even wanted the land, the rich resources that Castiel’s pack had enjoyed. No, they’d just wanted death and destruction, and had ripped through Castiel’s pack like paper. Castiel had been left among the dead, wounded and forgotten.

He’d been a long time healing and hadn’t seen a soul since the only other survivor had passed of old age. Castiel had long ago lost the count of the years, only the decay of his pack’s home betraying the passage of time outside of the repetitive change of seasons.

But he was alone no longer.

Not bothering to shift to his human form, Castiel stalked towards the building the strangers had entered. It was one of the ones in better repair, of course. It only made sense to choose it over the others. They hadn’t gone for the central building, though, for some reason. The one in which Castiel still made his home. The one that accessed the cliff dens and tunnels, the ones that had barely been started when the rogue pack had attacked but Castiel had spent years expanding.

He wouldn’t be caught off guard again, he’d thought. He’d make sure to have an escape.

And yet, here he was, moving forward instead of retreating to safety. He questioned his own sanity, even as he was drawn forward step by step.

He stopped in the doorless archway of the entrance, the wooden door having long since rotted away. He growled into the darkness, keen wolf eyes picking out the two strangers. The  **b** ig gray wolf had shifted into a human form that was nearly as formidable, as it lay the other onto a makeshift bed.

Castiel growled.

The sick man didn’t stir, but the other turned fast, hand going for a strange looking blade strapped to his back. 

Castiel took a step inside and growled again.

“Hey, we mean no harm. This your land?” the bearded man asked. “Look, he’s in no condition to move on. Let us stick around until he recovers?”

The man straightened, dropping his hand away from the blade and holding them out and open. Castiel gave another growl and sniffed. The man was worried, defensive, but not…

He didn’t smell like  _ them _ . He didn’t smell like the shifter pack that had destroyed Castiel’s life, family and home. He let his growl fade away and they stood there, staring each other down before the man huffed. 

“Look, name’s Benny, that there’s Dean. If you let us stay for a short bit, we can pay you back, hunting or whatever you need,” Benny said. “What do you say?”

After staring a bit more, pleased to see Benny shifting uncomfortably the longer Castiel gaze lingered on him, Castiel finally shifted. Standing tall, he noticed he was of like height to the stranger, though he seemed a little bulkier than Castiel was.

“You and your friend can stay,” Castiel finally spoke, his voice rougher than he remembered it. When was the last time he’d spoken aloud? “But only till he’s feeling better.”

“Thank you,” Benny said, real gratitude in his voice. 

Castiel retreated past the doorway, leaving the broken dwelling. Benny looked down at Dean, then back at Castiel and then followed Castiel. Castiel froze, giving a short growl and Benny froze in response.

“Just wanted to ask about water,” Benny said. “We’re low and he needs some to cool down. There a stream or lake nearby, or you got a well?”

“You can use the stream,” Castiel said after some thought, pointing off beyond the ruined walls. “That way.”

Benny nodded. “Thanks again.” Reaching down, he grabbed a pack he must have dropped just inside the door and pulled off a couple of dented canteens, then made to go past Castiel.

Castiel shifted back, edging away from Benny so they wouldn’t touch. Benny made a show of looking around, then he looked back at Castiel and lifted an eyebrow. “Where’s everyone else?” 

_ Don’t answer that,  _ Castiel told himself _. Don’t let them know you’re alone. They’ll take advantage, overpower you, kill you like all the others were. _

_ But then I wouldn’t be alone anymore. _

It was far too tempting a thought, but he’d never been brave enough to take that way out.

“Don’t like strangers,” Castiel said instead. It was true, he didn’t, but if Benny interpreted that differently, that was all for the better. “And don’t go near the main building,” Castiel snapped out as he saw Benny’s eyes flick in the direction of the hall Castiel was using for his own shelter, the one built into the cliff face.

Benny opened his mouth but a noise behind him cut him off before he could start, and he whirled, twisting around and lunging forward, going to his knees to catch Dean as he fell forward, the canteens hitting the ground and rolling, one going so far as to hit Castiel’s foot.

He stared down at it, even as he heard the two of them talking.

Slowly, Castiel bent down, picking the canteen up in his hands, turning it over and over.

He was insane for letting them stay. Wasn’t that enough? Why should he even  _ think  _ about helping them?

_ Because it’ll get them out of my hair faster _ , he told himself.

He wasn’t sure he believed it.

* * *

##  BENNY

* * *

Benny lay Dean back, passing a hand over his brow and cursing soft and low. The other man had been unwell on and off since they’d found each other a few months back, but it seemed to go in waves. It had never been as bad as this.

“What’s wrong with him?” came the deep, raspy voice of the man they’d inadvertently intruded on. The man who still hadn’t introduced himself.

Shrugging, Benny sat back on his heels and scanned about for the fallen canteens - when one, still wet on the outside, was shoved into his face. He blinked at it stupidly for a second, then took it.

“Dunno. He’s been like this since I found him, off and on. This is the worst it’s been though.” Benny took a swallow from the canteen, then found a rag and dampened it, using it to wipe Dean’s face with the cool water. “Ain’t contagious, if yer wonderin’. I ain’t caught it once.”

The man grunted.

After their ‘host’ left them, Benny explored the shelter he’d found for him and Dean. It had obviously once been a house - and, just as obviously, had been empty for a long, long time. Not unlived in, as he found plenty of evidence of other creatures having made nests at some point or another.

There wasn’t much daylight left so, as day faded into night, Benny set about cleaning out the ancient and dusty fireplace and building a fire for both warmth and light. Dean might be overheating, but now that Benny wasn’t wearing fur and pushing through the woods, laying out a trail obvious enough to lead Dean on but fragile enough to be ‘washed away’ quickly by the passage of time (what good did it do him to be on the run if he didn’t hide his trail from those that might be after him?), the late autumn chill was seeping into his bones.

His clothes had needed replacing quite some time ago, and the clothes Dean wore weren’t good for cold weather at all.

The whole time he cleaned and explored, Benny felt as if they were being watched. Fair enough, he supposed. Whoever this other man was, he’d been here first, though Benny found himself wondering a great deal about there as of yet unnamed host.

Their host was beautiful, if a bit scruffy. Clean, though, as Dean and Benny were not. Benny tried not to sniff the air at the thought. He didn’t need to know how badly he smelled. He'd work out a bath and laundry tomorrow. Looked like he’d have time.

The man had been odd, staring, few words and obviously he didn’t want them there, was more than wary of their presence. Scared, maybe. But he’d let them stay and had even gone so far as to go out of his way and fill their canteens.

How long had he been alone? A strange hermit, unaccustomed to people?

Benny had been in danger of becoming just like that, he’d been running for so long. But he hadn’t dared stop, hadn’t dared risk another pack in case his old one was still hunting him. He’d not be responsible for the deaths that would occur for another pack daring to shelter him.

But Dean was obviously just as alone as Benny, and just as desperate not to be. It had only made sense to team up. So what if he’d allowed Dean to believe Benny had let him tag along just to watch his back - that was only a bonus.

Besides, Benny had realized that without the feeling that he was contributing in some way, Dean might have walked away. He seemed the type to be too proud to accept help and Benny didn’t want to be alone anymore. Being alone - Benny had feared for his sanity. Wolves were not meant to be solitary and shifter wolves only slightly less so. They could weather it, for a time.

But it was better if they didn’t.

Their host hadn’t answered his question but Benny knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that the three of them were the only souls for miles around.

But he meant no harm, and if their host felt safer if he thought Benny believed him, Benny would remain quiet, for now.

The next two days were quiet, Dean passing in and out of lucidity and consciousness alike, Benny afraid to leave his side for too long. He used the time to make their shelter more liveable, unearthing an old tub for bathing that he worked to make clean. All the while, their host - a great black wolf with dark brown, subtle markings - lurked nearby, keeping his distance but also keeping watch, just as Benny had suspected he would.

It was otherwise silent, with only the wind moving through the trees and bird calls filling the air, while the scampering of smaller animals echoed about the woods and the abandoned buildings. It only reinforced Benny's conviction that they were the only ones about.

He wondered what had happened here, where the pack that had been there had gone and if it were possible their host was the last of that pack or had moved in after.

It didn’t seem polite to ask, even if Benny could get close enough to do so.

Midafternoon on the second day **,** Benny swore as he went through their packs again, noting that they were far, far too low on food. He needed to hunt, but did he dare leave Dean alone like this? He’d done it before, but Dean was worse than usual and he didn’t like the idea of doing it again.

His dilemma was solved moments later when a couple of rabbits landed just inside the open doorway. Benny looked up into the blue eyes of the wolf, even more vivid and striking against the dark fur. The wolf froze, holding Benny's gaze as if against his will, until Benny finally remembered his manners.

“Thank ye kindly,” he said, voice pitched low as to avoid disturbing Dean. He knew the wolf’s ears would catch it.

Benny’s voice broke whatever was holding their host in place and the wolf huffed and darted away. Benny waited another minute more, for what, he wasn’t sure, before shaking his head and going for the rabbits. Who was he to look a gift meal in the mouth?


	2. Chapter 2

##  DEAN

* * *

The scent of freshly cooked rabbit was what finally caused Dean to stir. “Hmm… that smells good,” Dean moaned.

“How ya feelin’ cher?” Benny asked.

“Better,” Dean answered, voice rough with disuse. Benny nodded at the canteen beside Dean and Dean picked it up, swallowing greedily. 

Benny had a strange look on his face but before Dean could puzzle it out, he looked away. But when Dean made to get up, Benny was there in a flash, a hand on his chest holding him back.

“Whoa there, settle down. We’ve got a good place to have a breather. You just keep restin’, ya hear me?”

“I’m good, Benny, you know that. We can keep moving. I’ll stop holding you back.”

“Easy, Dean,” Benny said. “We’ve been runnin’ together how long now? And every time you get sick, we’re back up and runnin’ before you've had a good chance to recover. Reckon we can afford a few days to give you that chance, and this place isn’t a bad one to do it in.”

Dean looked away from Benny guiltily. He hadn’t meant to, but this was his fault. Benny, of course, caught it, sharp eyed as ever.

“What’s goin’ on you ain’t tellin’ me?” Benny asked quietly.

Dean rolled onto his side and hunched in on himself, wrapping his arms around his body and trying not to shiver.

“A breather won’t make much difference, Benny,” he finally admitted. “I’m always sick. Been this way since my wolf year came and gone and I never found my wolf.” Dean’s eyes flicked up and down again. “That’s why you’ve never seen me shift. I  _ can’t  _ and I never will.”

Tears rolled down his face and he hunched up further, his hands tightening their grasp, likely to leave bruises unless he eased up. His throat closed off and he clamped his mouth shut, afraid the tears would become sobs with the slightest provocation.

“That why you left your pack?” Benny asked, still quiet.

“Didn’t leave,” Dean said, his voice rough and thick. “They kicked me out. No good and useless.” Dean  _ did  _ choke then and he untangled a hand to raise it, covering his mouth with his fist, chest heaving.

“That ain’t a bit true,” Benny bit out, cutting into Dean’s spiraling thoughts suddenly, his voice fierce and angry and filled with… with…

Dean’s face snapped up to find no pity on Benny’s face, but full-on wrath that made Dean shudder.

A shadow crossed the room, a figure blocking the door and the light, and then seconds later the shadow melted from a dark wolf to that of a man who edged in cautiously.

Dean turned red, shame and fear and anger coursing through him at this stranger witnessing his vulnerability. It was bad enough to bare all to Benny, but to this unknown wolf who may yet take Benny away from him?

Instinctively, his emotions too riled up to stop himself, Dean growled at the newcomer. “Who are you?” he snapped.

The man gave him an unimpressed look. 

“You can’t shift?” his voice was deep and rough, almost a growl of its own.

“Why’s it matter to you? We’re not staying anyway, so you can’t kick us out.” Dean tried to roll off the bed to his feet but Benny stopped him once more.

“That’s not…” the man looked surprised, then a little stricken. “My older brother… he.. He couldn’t shift either. At first.”

Dean blinked at him.

“What do you mean, at first?” What was this guy saying? Dean had never heard of another shifter who couldn’t become their wolfself.

“Something… I don’t remember… it prevented him from shifting.”

Dean blinked again, feeling more like an owl than a wolf at that moment.

“You mean you can fix this?” he asked, hardly daring to hope.

Now the man looked uncomfortable. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to mislead you. I have no idea what was wrong. I was very young.”

“We could just ask,” Dean pointed out, sitting up and leaning forward eagerly, Benny at least letting him do that.

“I - “ the man’s eyes went wide as he gasped and then he turned and fled.

“Well,” Benny drawled. “That went well.”

“He always that touchy?” Dean grumped, falling back with a thump and wiping his eyes with his sleeves.

“Huh. That may be the most words he’s said yet,” Benny mused, staring after their departed host before shaking his head and looking back at Dean. “Actually, I think he’s all alone here.”

Dean froze in the act of wiping his snot away on a cloth he’d found and stared at Benny in horror. “Oh for moon’s sake… so his brother - “

“Likely dead. Who knows how long,” Benny said softly.

“That accounts for the poor sense of personal space,” Dean muttered, thinking of how their host had obviously been eavesdropping on them. He swallowed. This guy could have been him, if he hadn’t found Benny and convinced the man to let him come along.

Dean couldn’t imagine anything worse than being alone.

* * *

##  CASTIEL

* * *

Castiel ran through the woods, dried and drying leaves crunching softly under the weight of his paws. He could run silently when he needed to, when he was hunting, but right now, the sound was a comfort.

Not a day passed when he hadn’t felt the weight of his solitude, had continued each day as if by rote, setting himself a task, doing it, moving on to the next till it became so ingrained in him that he didn’t even think about it any more.

He’d tried to break the solitude by befriending some of the local wildlife, but they could sense the wolf in him and were so wary that he’d given it up. Instead, he watched the birds and he kept bees and sometimes he talked to them, though they never answered.

He’d be worried if they had, his sanity surely gone.

But their lives were so fleeting and he hated making connections just to lose them again...

And again...

And again.

His brother…

Castiel ran faster.

These men… he was both anxious for them to leave and dreading it. What if he could convince them to stay? No, that was foolish. Wasn’t it? What if he let them stay and they hated each other? What if they were as bad as the ones who…

Castiel stumbled, staggered and dropped, whimpering.

No, no, no, they weren’t. Benny had been nothing but respectful of Castiel’s space, mindful of it even. And the other one, Dean, so young and… and…

Shoving himself back to his paws, Castiel shook himself. He might still be able to help. If he could check the books, there might be something in there that would shed a little light on Dean’s plight, like it had on his brother’s.

Turning around, he headed back towards the ruined buildings of his packs home, slunk around the outskirts widely till he could head for the main building and slip inside unseen. He shook himself again before shifting, padding through the rooms on two feet instead of four. The library was in the back, with all the collected knowledge of the pack, and the journals of the healers and leaders of generations past.

He’d read them all except those kept by the people he’d lost, afraid it would hurt far too much to see their personalities shining up from the pages, through their words - or worse yet, to find that his memories of them had distorted over time, and they weren’t like he remembered, destroying that link to his past and causing him to grieve again.

There had to be something in there.

Castiel searched among the books, looking for those that had been kept by the healer who would have known Gabriel. His fingers hesitated over the cover. Newer leather, not yet worn and oily from repeated touching and reading.

He took a deep breath-

And opened the cover.

Castiel was soon lost in the words, in the observations of a woman long dead, at hints of things he didn’t understand but compelled him to read on, even if he hadn’t had a goal in mind, but since he did...

At last he found what he sought and he slipped the marker between those pages, read it, and read it again before moving on, that compulsion to read having taken over, Castiel unable to stop his fingers from turning page after page - 

The journal ended abruptly, as he knew it would have to, but with words that shook Castiel to his core.

_ Let them stay, Castiel. It is not only they who stand to benefit from such an action. You have been alone too long. Also, get them inside. It’s going to rain cats and dogs tonight. _

Slamming the book shut on a gasp, he almost threw it away from him, toward the flames. But then his fingers clenched on it and he closed his eyes, taking in a steadying breath.

There had always been rumors about Missouri, but he’d never believed… yet…

He opened his eyes to stare at the journal some more.

And yet, how could he  _ not  _ after reading  _ that? _

After letting the words sink in a little bit, he actually relaxed. He’d been so torn, so worried. Part of him, the logical part, roaring for them to leave, while a tinier part of him, some instinct desperately cried for them to stay. Which part of himself did he listen to? Which was the greater risk to him? Missouri’s words felt like the permission he so needed to allow himself.

She wouldn’t reach out from the grave just to steer him wrong – would she?

Lightning split the sky and thunder cracked, ominously loud.

Well.

That settled that, he supposed.

* * *

##  BENNY

* * *

Thunder and lightning rolled and crackled through the sky that night, the rain pouring down in droves, and Benny and Dean found out just how much their ruined building  _ wasn’t  _ a good shelter.

“Damn, Benny,” Dean whined. “I’m soaked to the bone.”

Benny sighed. This had been the best of the lot, outside of the main building, but there’d been something, some _ reason _ , he hadn’t tried to hunker down there, even before their host made it clear to stay away from it, but damned if he could remember just why that was.

A compulsion spell?

Benny shuddered and it had nothing to do with the chill from the wind and rain, their fire long since gone out due to the great gusts of wind and rain coming in through the non-existent front door.

And the gaps in the stone meant for windows.

And the other crumbling holes that Benny had done nothing more than glance at when they first arrived, too worried about Dean by half.

“We’ve weathered worse,” Benny pointed out, because they had. Shelter – good shelter – wasn’t always easy to come by.

“I know,” Dean said, dropping back against the wall. “I guess I just hoped, four walls – give or take a few holes – would be, y’know?” He shrugged. “It’d be more comfortable and safer from the elements.”

And suddenly Benny felt bad that it was he who’d caused that disappointment in Dean.

Lightning struck again and Dean jerked with a squeak Benny wasn’t too sure he’d heard, eyes gone wide. Benny spun to face Dean’s line of sight – the door – just as lightning struck again. Their host stood there, a stark silhouette for just a second before the lightning faded, beckoning.

“What?” Benny got closer and asked.

“You can't stay out here – “ The man started to say.

“You can’t be seriously thinking of kicking us out in the middle of  _ this?” _ Benny asked incredulously.

The man's brow furrowed and his head tilted. “I was merely saying that this… house… will do you and Dean no good. You might as well come with me.”

Benny almost blinked in his astonishment, but he wasted no time in gathering what few things they had, Dean scrambling up to follow suit.

“It's mighty kind of ya,” Benny said as he shouldered his bag and rejoined their host by the door.

Without a word, their host turned and led the way, Dean and Benny hastening to follow along behind. It wasn’t far to the main building, but with the rain pelting down on them, it felt like miles. As bad a job as it had been doing, the ruins of the house they’d holed up in had actually made a difference.

Who knew?

It was blessedly warm and decidedly much quieter inside the building they’d been led to – and definitely dry.

Their host hesitated now, clearly uncomfortable. Whatever had sparked this change of heart, though, Benny wouldn’t argue it, just like before.

Finally, he pointed to one side of the large room – what looked to have once been a meeting hall of some sort, with old banners, a great fire pit and alcoves set in the walls. But it was clear that the man had set up shop here. A bed set to one side, a work area with a few tables filled with errata, a couple of bookshelves against one wall, and so on.

“You can sleep there, dry your things by the fire. I have a clothing rack you can use.”

“Hey, thanks,” Dean said, heading over where the man had pointed. “So what’s your name?”

There was silence – long enough Benny thought he would ignore the question – again – and finally, “Castiel.”

“Castiel,” Benny said, trying the name out on his tongue. “It’s nice to officially meet you.” He held out his hand and Castiel looked at it with wide eyes. Then – visibly steeling himself - he reached out and clasped Benny’s hand in his.

He withdrew almost instantly but he didn’t hesitate when Dean prompted the same action, still looking stunned, but also more sure of himself.

As soon as Dean let go, Castiel spun about, leaving them alone but not completely. He crouched by the firepit and poked at it with single minded focus that Benny suspected had something to do with not knowing what to do with people in his space.

However it had happened, Castiel had certainly been alone a long time.

* * *

##  DEAN

* * *

They hung  _ all  _ their clothes to dry – which wasn’t much to start with – which left Benny and Dean naked as jaybirds. Benny shifted, shaking out his fur with Dean grumbling.

If only he could do that. Not that he cared much about being naked, but it would have been warmer. And, just once, at least, he’d like to know what it was he was missing.

Castiel was in his space suddenly and Dean yelped, not having heard him approach over the thunder of rain on the roof.

He held out a brown cloth. “Uh, thanks,” Dean said, taking it and finding it was a robe. He put it on and sighed at how soft it was.

When was the last time he’d felt something soft that wasn’t Benny's fur? Not that he minded feeling Benny’s fur. He could stand to feel more of it, and of the man himself, for that matter.

The direction of Dean’s thoughts had him blushing greatly and suddenly very grateful for the robe.

A huff beside him from Benny had Dean scrambling to get the robe closed before digging into their bags for the leftover meat they’d cooked up after Castiel’s donation earlier that day **.** Wasn’t much, honestly, a couple rabbits for two grown men didn’t exactly go far. Dean looked at the pitiful scraps and refrained for sighing. He’d made do before, he could again.

“Here.” The gruff voice of Castiel so near Dean  _ did  _ make him jump and yelp this time. Another huff from Benny and Dean knew the wolf was laughing at him this time.

When he turned, Castiel had two plates of food: meat, mushrooms and potatoes and something green besides. It smelled good. As Dean stared, caught by blue eyes – different from Benny’s but perhaps just as captivating – Benny shifted back and accepted one of the plates.

“Thanks again, Castiel.”

Dean snapped out of it and blushed once more, reaching for the other and mumbling his own thanks before sitting down and balancing it on his knees. He tore into the food, more ravenous then he’d expected, and he groaned happily as flavor burst into his mouth.

Benny was a good cook, but being on the run meant there wasn’t much time for anything other than the basics and sometimes the meat was more raw than Dean, unshifted, could stand it.

“Well, if that ain’t a ringing endorsement, I'm not sure what is,” Benny said dryly, while Castiel stared at Dean with an unreadable expression.

“You take a bite of that and tell me it ain’t the best thing you’ve tasted in ages,” Dean dared Benny

“Don’t have to, Cher, I can  _ smell  _ it just fine.” Nonetheless, he took a bite and his eyes closed on a hum, pausing as he savored it. Dean grinned at him triumphantly, unable to contain his smugness.

“Told ya,” he said.

Benny waved him off and shoveled more food into his mouth – soon Dean and Benny had finished Castiel’s offerings and set the plates aside.

“Man, Cas, that was real damn good,” Dean said. Castiel’s mouth twitched a little and Dean thought for a second he might actually smile.

“Really?” The word was tentative, almost shy.

Dean nodded and Benny started singing his praises and then Cas  _ did  _ break out into a smile, wide and gummy and a little surprised too.

Dean just gaped at how beautiful that smile was. Benny’s words faltered for a second and his and Dean’s gazes met. All Dean could think of was that he was doomed. He’d already, ill advisedly, formed a bit of a crush on Benny, and suddenly Dean was sure it wouldn’t take much to form one for Castiel too. 


	3. Chapter 3

##  DEAN

* * *

It was warm in the building, warm enough that Benny didn’t curl up around Dean that night when they slept and Dean sorely felt that lack, but was wholly unwilling to examine why.

They had the best shelter Dean had seen since he’d left his pack. He  _ should _ be happy, not grumpy as fuck. But instead he was awake for what felt like the whole night, aching to reach out for Benny but unable to find a good excuse as to why.

He must have dozed off at  _ some _ point though, because he woke to the smell of food cooking.

Stretching blearily, he sat up, looking around for Benny. Dean found him and Castiel with their heads bent together by the fire. It looked like breakfast was a joint effort.

Dean squashed his jealousy. There was  _ nothing  _ to be jealous about.

Instead, he stood and stretched again, long and hard, eyes closing as he felt his spine pop – unaware of the looks his action had drawn, one hungry and appreciative, the other longing and quickly falling away. Idly scratching at the thick scruff growing along his jaw, Dean wondered if he should bother shaving. It’d been an age since he’d done that and growing it out in the summer had been itchy as hell, but it would prove useful in the winter. Still, when would be the next time they stopped long enough for a  _ proper  _ shave, not just keeping it trimmed?

He made his way over to join the other two, still poking at the hair on his face thoughtfully.

“Welcome back to the land of the living,” Benny noted.

Dean grunted. “Slept poorly.”

Nodding, Benny said, “Probably still recovering from whatever it is that keeps hitting you.”

Castiel froze in the act of pulling food off the fire. It was small, a hesitation so slight Dean almost thought he’d imagined it, but a look at Benny showed he hadn’t been.

Whatever had caused the hitch, Castiel recovered, dishing out food and settling in a chair at one of the tables a short bit a way, filled with the clutter of books. He carefully swept them away as Dean and Benny joined him, eating in near silence.

Near the end of the meal, Castiel pushed one of the books he’d left on the table towards Dean.

“I think the answers you seek are in here,” he said, the first words Dean had heard from him all morning. He swallowed his last bite quickly in his excitement, almost choking.

“Really?” Dean said, eagerly putting aside his empty plate and reaching for the book.

He pulled it to him, cracking the book open and noting the marker between the pages. He thumbed the marker, looking at Castiel who nodded, then paged through the book to where it lay.

He read quietly and quickly, noting the things tried, theories raised and questions asked. There wasn’t actually a lot, so it was a quick read. Could it really be this simple? 

The shift, the book explained, was a fundamental part of each person. Everyone could shift – and anyone who could  _ not _ had an outside force preventing them.

Sometimes it was as simple as an herb – something called wolfsbane that Dean had heard of. There was a sketch of it at the bottom of the page, and he knew he’d never seen it in his life. As far as Dean was aware, it grew in the wild only. No shifter wanted to feel the effects of the wolfsbane, so no one in their right mind would harvest it and start a garden with the herb. Dean hadn’t been aware it could prevent shifting, but there were plenty of other ill effects to warrant staying away from the plant if possible.

Thankfully, those effects were usually temporary, though he’d heard death could occur from prolonged exposure. He shivered.

There’d been rumors, of course, that some less than savory packs  _ had _ deliberately cultivated it, turning it into a weapon, a poison to control their members, but he couldn’t imagine  _ anyone  _ in the Winchester Pack using wolfsbane like that. Not even his dad, as shitty as he’d been.

So Dean decided that wolfsbane  _ couldn’t  _ be the answer, for those reasons and for one simple fact - once he’d left Winchester territory and whoever had been poisoning him, his problem wouldn’t have persisted. It might have lingered a bit, but he’d been gone a while now, and – he took another careful look at the sketch - there was no way he was accidentally eating wolfsbane consistently enough to cause this, he was sure of it.

A spell, then.

Spells could be done in several ways, but Dean was no expert on them. The book, though, said that there were only two most likely culprits: either someone was close by, constantly casting and renewing the spell - which was a lot of effort, Dean thought - or the victim carried a talisman with the spell woven into it

Dean felt his blood run cold.

Obviously, just as with the wolfsbane - and for the same reasons - that first possibility was not likely, which left the talisman, and a talisman could be  _ anything _ . As long as it held the magic, anything on his person could  _ be  _ that talisman.

And he did still have a few small trinkets from home.

Dean chewed on his lip, mentally running through what he had on him. His mother’s ring. The necklace Sam gave him years ago. The knife from Bobby. Aside from how it _couldn’t_ be any of those things, it _could be_ _any of those things_ , the question was how? And how was Dean to determine which precious item it was?

Or how to fix it?

He swallowed.

Dean knew Bobby, Sam or his mother would have never put something like that on  _ anything _ , much less a gift, no matter who it was meant for. It wasn’t the kind of people they were. Which meant someone else had, and the easiest way to solve the issue was to just… not keep them. But they were  _ special _ , and Dean didn’t want to lose a single one, those ties to his past, to his loved ones. How could he give those up?

He closed the book with a sigh.

“Was it… helpful?” Castiel asked, his voice rough and hesitant.

“I…” Dean started, shook his head and tried again. “Maybe. Um. Thank you.”

* * *

##  CASTIEL

* * *

Castiel watched the two strangers - Benny and Dean, he reminded himself - and the easy way they moved around each other. In the good light of day streaming in through the big glass windows - the ones that were still glass, that was, and not covered in whatever Castiel could cobble together to keep out the elements - the two men were a little dirty, a little shaggy, but gorgeous, graceful, every movement drawing Castiel’s eyes.

Was he fascinated by them simply because they were the first people he’d seen in who knew how long?

Or was there something more to it? 

He shook his head and stood, resolving to go about his daily tasks.

“Can we help? Repay you for your hospitality?” Benny asked, suddenly at his side. Castiel stared at him blankly. Help? He blinked, looked around the main building he’d taken over, then back to Benny, unsure what to even ask for help with. He’d gone so long having to do for himself that the thought of getting any help whatsoever was foreign.

“Uh, don’t you need to help Dean with his problem?” Castiel asked, gesturing towards where Dean was still thumbing thoughtfully at the marker in Missouri’s journal, though the book was closed. He was obviously thinking hard about something and Castiel wondered if anything had been useful. Castiel thought he knew what the answer must be, but something about that answer was setting Dean on edge, so Castiel wouldn’t push.

Benny shook his head. “When he’s ready, he’ll ask.” Benny looked around. “Is this the only room? We could set up a place to sleep somewhere else so we’re not crowding you?”

Castiel’s stomach lurched at the thought of being alone again so soon even if they wouldn’t be going far and he shook his head near violently. “No! I mean, this room is more than big enough for all of us. Unless… do you, uh,  _ need  _ privacy?”

“Nah, we’re not like that,” Benny drawled. Castiel saw Deans head rise and blink at them, a wistful expression crossing his face before catching Castiel’s eyes and looking away, a blush pinking his cheeks. “Just thought you might not be used to sharing your space, and we  _ are  _ strangers. It was only a few days ago you didn’t even want us here.”

Looking away, Castiel murmured, “I don’t mind so much as I thought I might. It’s only temporary anyway. No point in messing around with the other rooms.”

“Of course,” Benny said, his voice a little strained, Castiel thought. Resigned maybe? Was he upset at the reminder of Benny and Dean’s own plans? But why? “You know what, maybe I'll go huntin’, let Dean do his thinkin’ some more. Anything I should know about the area?”

Oh, that was doable, Castiel thought. “Don’t try to hunt above the cliffs. It isn’t worth it. I’d go east instead, past the stream, if you want bigger game, otherwise there’s plenty of smaller game closer in.”

Benny grunted. “Something big will probably be a good idea, now you got a few more mouths to feed for however long we’re staying.” Benny called over to Dean. “I’m gonna go hunting and stretch my legs a bit. You good?”

Dean nodded and Castiel watched Benny go, watched  _ Dean  _ watch Benny go and then shook himself. With an internal sigh, he left Dean to his thoughts and followed Benny out the door. Benny had already shifted and disappeared by the time Castiel got outside and he didn’t let his disappointment hit him at  _ not _ seeing the other wolf. Instead, he turned towards the gardens and wondered if there was enough food planted. 

He normally planted more than he needed, to supplement his winter supplies, but now Castiel was worried it wouldn’t be enough. He would need to go through his seeds and see what could be planted in a more substantial manner at this time of year.

It turned out he had quite a bit, so he took the day to transform a plot of land into another garden, clearing and turning the earth, working hard enough to get warm despite the cool air. He worked through lunch, pausing only when he heard footsteps behind him. He sat back on his heels and wiped sweat off his face, looking over at Dean.

“Uh, Benny’s back, and we thought you’d be hungry?”

Taking stock, Castiel nodded. “Yes, actually.” Levering himself up off the ground, him and Dean walked back inside. 

“So, Cas, what were you doing?”

“Expanding the garden,” Castiel said absently.

“Why?”

Castiel stopped and looked towards the ground, finding his hands had come together to twist and turn about. A hand landed on his shoulder, soft, gentle, and Castiel almost cried at the touch.

“Cas, what’s wrong? Is… Is us being here causing you problems?”

“I don’t want you to leave,” Castiel blurted. “It’s stupid. I don’t even know you, either of you, but I already don’t want you to leave.”

“So the garden…?” Dean started.

“Just in case you stayed,” Castiel whispered. “We’d need more food if it’s not just me.” 

It was quiet for too long, the air charged with something different than Castiel was used to, even though quiet was normal for him. Already, it felt… wrong. He didn’t think he could bear it if they  _ did  _ leave, not after getting a taste of what had been missing for so long.

The camaraderie between him and Benny as they collaborated over breakfast, the way Dean had appreciated his food.

Looking up, swallowing hard, Castiel asked, “Did you finish the book?”

“What?” Dean reeled back a little, surprise clear. “Didn’t think I needed to. Why?”

Castiel shook his head, then reluctantly shook himself clear of Dean’s hand and wanted to keen at the loss immediately. He resumed walking, entering the main building and finding Benny already bent over the fire. He’d been hard at work, apparently, having found a deer and likely spent the morning or afternoon taking care of it, setting aside some to be cooked straight away and the rest to cure.

He paused in the doorway, hit by the strange sight of someone else in his space, where there’d been no one for so long. He hoped they would stay, but why oh why had he just  _ said  _ it like that? 

Feeling somewhat embarrassed, he went to the corner of the old hall he’d set up to clean oneself off. It didn’t have any privacy, he was realizing now, but then he’d never needed it before and the communal bathing room had been too big and empty for just one person. Currently, it wasn’t even ready for use, though he might want to think about that. For now, he filled the washbasin and cleaned his hands and face. The rest could wait for later.

The late lunch was good, simple and plain but good and Castiel remembered to thank Benny for hunting  _ and  _ cooking.

“It was my pleasure. I just hope you don’t mind that I used your stuff?” Benny asked.

Castiel chewed thoughtfully and ran his mind over the contents of the room. There wasn’t much he would mind them using, he realized with surprise. “You can touch anything in this room, except what I keep over there,” Castiel said finally, pointing towards his own bed, then nodded at where Benny and Dean had slept the night before. “And I will return the favor for you.”

Benny broke out in a smile that made Castiel feel a little weak and he looked away again, feeling his cheeks turning hot as he turned his attention back to his food.

* * *

##  BENNY

* * *

Benny was pleased to hear he hadn’t overstepped and, from Castiel’s reactions, it was clear he didn’t hate the food. Benny found himself relieved though he hadn’t even realized he was knotted up with tension until it released.

“So uh… From what I was reading,” Dean said, breaking into the silence, “It sounds like what happened was deliberate and that something I’m carrying is the cause. Problem is, I don’t know which thing, and… and they’re all special to me. Mementos given from people I care about. They’re the last things I have of them, and I'm not sure what to do about it.”

“The book didn’t say?” Benny asked, flicking his eyes from Castiel to Dean and back.

“Well,” Dean hedged, dragging out the word. 

“The obvious solution would be to get rid of the items. As none of us here know spellwork.”

“But  _ all  _ of them?” Dean whined. “It’s probably just the one of them, and that’s gonna be hard enough.”

Benny tapped at the table thoughtfully. “Y’know, it’s almost winter and we’d have to find a place to hole up anyway. Easy enough to do as a wolf, a little harder if you’re not.”

Dean shrank in on himself, getting a mulish expression that Benny knew was covering up how vulnerable he was feeling right now.

“What I’m sayin’ is, if Castiel here don’t mind a few extra houseguests for a few months, we could hole up here and figure out which it is by process of elimination,” Benny suggested. “We’d help out around here too, of course. And maybe go through a few more books, see if there’s a way to lift the spell once we figure out which one has it?”

Dean looked at Benny with hope and excitement, then transferred the same gaze to Castiel who looked like he was caught between panic and hope. He nodded, jerkily, then cleared his throat, eyes darting between Dean and Benny. 

“Are you sure?” Benny asked. “We don’t mean to intrude, or to force our way in. I promise, we can move on after -”

Castiel shook his head, his face turning quite pink, Benny noticed. “Please, stay.”

“He’s already started planting another garden, just for us,” Dean said suddenly, grinning.

“Is that right?” Benny asked. Castiel’s face turned pinker and he ducked his head. “Thank you.” Benny let it sit for a moment before his conscience got the best of him. “Before we do, though, I should be honest with you - I’m on the run from my pack. I don’t think they’re lookin’ for me, not anymore, not after all this time, but they’re… pretty unsavory people. S’why I haven’t settled down nowhere, with another pack. I was afraid I might bring doom down wherever I tried to make a home. Nobody deserves that. It ain’t right.”

There was a clatter and Benny watched as Castiel turned pale, swallowed, and shoved away from the table. “I… I appreciate your honesty, Benny. I… I…” he took a deep breath, closed his eyes and whispered. “I need to think.”

There was a sinking feeling from Benny as he watched Castiel walking away, ducking back out of the building and then Dean turned to glare at him. 

“Was that smart? It’s been years, Benny, you said so yourself. They had to have stopped lookin’ for you by now,” Dean hissed.

“I just wouldn't feel right. He should know there’s a chance, no matter how small. It’s his home, his life, his decision,” Benny insisted.

Dean deflated. “I know, I know,” he groaned. “You’re right. But this is the best lead I’ve ever gotten. Hell, I didn't even know there  _ was  _ one to be had till we got here. I don’t want to lose it so fast.”

Benny reached out to cover Dean’s hand. “You didn’t lose anything, even if he says no. We’ve learned something you didn’t know before. It’s a step in the right direction, no matter what he says.”

They cleaned up after they finished eating, covering the remains of Castiel’s food till he could return. Dean went back to the stacks of books, picking up the one he’d read that morning and settling back in. Benny figured he was just looking for anything else that could help and took to wandering through the hall, looking at everything with a critical eye. There were a number of broken windows, likely shattered by time and weather and then covered up by cloth or leather or misshapen boards.

Taking a closer look, he noted that one corner held the glass, carefully stored in a large box to keep it safely out of the way. A fair few pieces were no longer window shaped, but were still large and mostly intact. He’d never worked with glass before, but maybe he could make new windows out of the pieces, like a… like a mosaic? He could use wood to hold them together, like seams in a patchwork quilt. Likely no two would look the same but…

If Castiel said they could stay, Benny would give it a try. No point in starting now if he wouldn't be around to finish. 

It was nearing late evening when Castiel finally came back, looking just as dirty and rumpled as he’d had at their previous, disastrous, meal. He didn’t speak a word, but went straight towards the bath corner and washed up. Benny’s heart sank. He knew what the answer was going to be and he felt terrible, that he’d taken this chance from Dean, despite what he’d said to Dean earlier.

While Dean was reading and Castiel was gone, Benny spent that time thinking , and he had finally come up with a solution. It wasn’t one that he was happy with, but it would have the best results for everyone else. It was plain to see - even in so short a time - how  _ lonely  _ Castiel was. The fact the man had -  _ unbidden!  _ \- gone out to expand the gardens for them, without even knowing they would wish to stay… It said a lot.

As Castiel approached what Benny was starting to think of as the meal table, Benny spoke up. 

“I know what you’re gonna say,” Benny said. “And you’re right. I wouldn’t want me here either. Not when my presence could bring destruction down on us all. But Dean - I think you should let Dean stay. I’ll move on in the morning.”

Dean protested almost immediately, jaw dropping in shock. “Benny? What? No!”

Castiel shook his head. “You’re wrong. I  _ have _ thought about it, thought about asking you to leave,” he admitted, his eyes and hand coming to rest on the book, “But I decided against it. You can stay - both of you. Someone I trust advised me thus.”

Benny stared in confusion and no little worry. Someone he trusted? There was nobody else here! Had the loneliness driven Castiel mad? Understandable, sure, but worrisome too. Would it be  _ safe  _ to stay here if he was? 

If he left, would he feel comfortable leaving Dean in the hands of a possible madman? 

But Castiel didn’t  _ seem  _ mad to Benny and Dean didn’t look worried. 

“She sounded like a remarkable woman, Cas,” Dean said softly. 

“Huh?” Benny was officially confused now. 

Dean gestured at the book and asked Cas, “May I?” After Castiel nodded, removing his hand from the book, Dean slid it off the table and held it out to Benny. Slowly, eyes checking over both Dean  _ and  _ Castiel’s faces, Benny took the book. It fell open to the marker and then Dean helpfully paged forward a little more.

When Benny read what was written there, he scoffed, though his heart pounded with possibility and his head whirled. “The healer? Who died  _ how  _ long ago?” He shook his head in disbelief. “This doesn’t mean anything. He could have written that himself.”

Humming, Dean nodded, then turned to the last page, passing all the empty ones between. There was another message, written by the same hand.

_ Benjamin Lafitte, don’t be an ass and throw this away. Also, good luck with the windows, I think it’ll be just the right fixing up touch this place needs. _

Benny raised shocked eyes towards Dean and Castiel. He’d told neither of them his full name. There was no way they could have guessed  _ that.  _ And the windows… that had been mere hours ago, and he hadn’t said a word about it. There’s no way anyone could have predicted his sudden inspiration.

“So, that your name, Benny?” Dean asked. It wasn’t accusatory, simply smug while Castiel himself was making a surprised sound, reaching for the book. Dean let it go, still staring at Benny.

“I didn’t know this was here,” Castiel whispered. The shock was genuine and Benny’s knees felt weak.

If Castiel hadn’t put it there then, the only answer was that the healer  _ had.  _ He’d argue that was impossible, but there was magic all around this place, and on Dean, apparently. So maybe…

Benny blew out a breath and a smile slowly crawled over his face. “All right then, I guess we’re stayin’.”


	4. Chapter 4

##  CASTIEL

* * *

So quickly Castiel couldn't quite comprehend it, Dean and Benny had settled in so thoroughly that Castiel could hardly imagine life without them. Within a week, the hall had been almost transformed, with Benny creating a workshop to make new windows while Dean worked on a privacy screen for the bathing area Castiel had set up.

Benny helped with the hunting, while Dean helped with the gardening, Castiel taking turns between them. All of them worked on meals. The evening meal was a joint effort, while the morning meal rotated between them. Each brought different experiences and flavorings to the table though Benny sometimes explained that a dish wasn’t  _ quite  _ right, but it was as close as he could get with what they had on hand. 

It was still a change from anything Castiel had eaten over the years, though the others praised his own cooking till Castiel found himself blushing hard and his throat locked up so tight he couldn’t speak. It was, oddly enough, a good feeling. He just wasn’t sure what to  _ do  _ with it.

All he knew was that he was falling for them more and more each minute of every day.

Dean already knew how to can and preserve vegetables, and as they harvested the garden with one eye anxiously on the sky each day as winter drew near, Castiel found his storeroom near full to bursting.

A sight he hadn’t seen in a long time.

Placing another can in the storeroom, Dean laughed. It made Castiel stare, at the wide grin, the happy twinkle in his eyes, the curve of his throat as his head moved back to expose it. “I think you planted too much,” he teased.

“Forgive me. I… was unsure how much more I would need. I’ve only had to worry about myself for so long,” Castiel said. Dean looked at him softly, the kind of look that made Castiel’s stomach produce butterflies.

“Not anymore, Cas,” Dean said.

And wasn’t that something?

When Dean wasn’t helping one or the other, he asked Castiel for permission to peruse the books and Castiel showed him first the volumes he used most often, kept on shelves he’d made for himself in the hall. But then he brought Dean to the library, which always felt like hallowed ground to Castiel, rather than a well worn haunt as the hall did.

Castiel came to realize that he’d become uncomfortable in any space that wasn’t the hall or his garden or the woods and wondered when he’d become a stranger in his own home.

When had he stopped living?

In the first week, Dean also asked for a box and a safe place to keep his trinkets as they did as Benny had suggested - process of elimination. He first removed a gorgeous hunting dagger, placing it in the box. Together, they decided the safest place to keep it would be the same library, as it was still largely intact and then the dagger would not be in contact with anyone else. 

“Although, I don’t think we need to worry, unless one of us actually touches it. Others have been around you and your trinkets - if one of them is indeed spelled like we think - to no ill effect for a very long time. Benny, at the very least, who has had close contact with you all these past months has not suffered any problems with his shifting,” Castiel pointed out.

“Maybe so, Cas,” Dean agreed. “But let’s not take any chances.”

Dean and Benny being around was certainly eye opening for Cas. There was noise, there was laughter, there were smiles aimed at each other and at  _ him.  _ There were touches too. Hands and shoulders as they worked together, or passed each other. And each touch both eased something long forgotten inside of Castiel and also made him yearn for more, as if he was a deep well that could never be filled.

Before a month was out Castiel was hopelessly in love with  _ both  _ of them. With their kind hearts and helpful hands, of their exuberant spirits and the songs Benny liked to sing while he cooked or worked. Dean unearthed an instrument Castiel was unfamiliar with, stringed, and after some finagling, managed to coax some music out of it as well, discordant but enthusiastic with Benny pretending to groan and then singing along. They even taught Castiel a few songs. And life was  _ full. _

Castiel was the happiest he’d been in a long time but he felt like there was something else, something missing, something _ just _ out of reach, if he could but figure out what it was.

Now all he really had to worry about was what would happen when spring came back around and Dean had inevitably found his wolf - would the two move on, then, leaving Castiel alone once more?

Having had this taste of normalcy for the first time in so long that Castiel had long since lost count of the years, Castiel didn’t think he’d survive the loneliness a second time.

Not after losing his heart to them.

So then, he would just have to find a way to persuade them to stay.

* * *

##  DEAN

* * *

Dean had almost forgotten the fevers by the time they’d been staying with Castiel an entire month. 

Almost. But not quite. 

The fevers had been with him for so long now that Dean was sure he would never  _ really _ forget them. He watched the moon anxiously as it shifted and moved in the sky and knew it was coming. But he hoped it was not. He hoped it was the dagger from Bobby and not the necklace or the ring. Any of the three would hurt, but he just wanted this to be  _ over. _

He wanted to meet his wolf and to be an equal part of the tiny little pack he’d found for himself. His hopes were so high that Dean felt betrayed when he woke in the middle of the night, to the same cramps and aches and pains and fever he’d gotten used to. 

Dean almost cried in despair.

“It’s just the first one, Dean,” Benny said, wiping a wet cloth over Dean’s face and cooling him down. Dean leaned gratefully into the cloth, into the soothing touch, hearing but barely understanding the words. “Ya said yourself there are others to be tried. This isn’t a failure.”

“What can we do for him?” Castiel asked. Dean’s eyes were closed, but Castiel sounded close. He wanted to reach out for Cas, to seek comfort from him as well as Benny, but he didn’t dare. 

“Not much  _ to _ do, usually. But I think he’s hotter than normal. Why would it be getting worse?” Dean heard Benny asking. 

It was a good question. But he didn’t know and he didn’t care. It had been worsening with every moon as it was, and Dean felt sure if he didn’t solve this problem soon, one day Dean would just burn up and not make it through to the other side.

As it was, he burned and his joints twisted and his eyes didn’t want to stay open. He was so, so glad that he and Benny weren’t trying to travel right now, cause Benny was right.

This was the worst yet.

“Missouri didn’t say,” Castiel said. “I’m sorry. I can look again?”

Dean felt the cloth swiping over his head and face again and tried to lean further into it, but the motion made him dizzy. 

“Don’t bother. We been through all those books time and again to get ready for this, and it didn’t turn up anythin’ we didn’t already know,” Benny said.

“What about a bath? To cool him down? I could fill the tub?” Castiel asked. “Dean, what do you think?”

“Nnnnn….” Dean rolled his head into Benny’s thigh and groped for support to lever himself upwards. Strong arms were there, helping him in an instant and he was no longer sure if they were Benny’s or Cas’s. They were both of a similar size and equally strong, for all that Benny looked a little bulkier.

His head was swimming with the effort to move.

“I think that’s a yes,” Benny said, his voice echoing in Dean’s ear and he swatted at Benny.

“Too loud,” he griped. “But yes.” He continued to flounder upwards, towards the promised relief, but Benny easily held him back.

“Easy now, the bath ain’t ready just yet, give Cas a bit o’ time first,” Benny said. Dean sighed and slumped sideways into Benny, curling against the other man’s chest.

“Fine,” Dean mumbled. He drifted, then, only becoming aware once more as his hot skin hit cool, cool water in blissful relief. He groaned, his head falling back, getting caught by a hand. 

Together, Benny and Cas took care of Dean for the next three days of the full moon. When the fever ebbed some, he realized he was being cushioned by soft fur and Dean snuggled happily into it, realizing only after that it was Cas and not Benny as it usually was during these times. Benny was still there, curled up at Dean’s back and Dean felt safe, drifting back to sleep, more restful this time than it had been during the fever.

Okay, so it wasn’t Bobby’s knife. He’d try Sam’s necklace next time. Another month to wait, another month of anticipation. After years of suffering like this, you’d think Dean could hold out that long but he already knew it was going to be agonizing. Somehow,  _ knowing  _ there was a solution in sight was making it  _ harder  _ to get through instead of easier.

Benny said that was just his contrary nature shining through

“I’m not contrary,” Dean protested.

“Sure you ain’t,” Benny said.

Castiel snorted, then covered his mouth in shock that such a sound had left him. It had Dean and Benny laughing and Dean reaching for Cas.

“Thank you, both, for being here for me. You didn’t have to. Benny, you could have left my ass behind the first time this happened and Cas, we intruded on your land. I am so grateful for both of you that…” Dean’s words choked in his throat and his eyes burned again but this time for far different reasons. He turned away and closed his eyes.

“Hey,” Benny said softly. “Just cause yer family turned you away don’t mean that we will, or that it was the right thing to do. We’re here for ya, cher.”

Over Benny’s shoulder, Castiel nodded solemnly, supportively, in that mostly quiet way he had. He didn’t always talk, too unused to people being around, but he was getting better at it, and when he did have something to say it usually made you stop and listen.

“Thank you,” Dean said softly, flashing them both a smile.

Castiel flushed in response, then looked away, nodding, then moving off to busy himself with something else. Benny chuckled. “You need to stop doing that to him.”

“Doing what? Just expressing my gratitude,” Dean grumped, heart hammering in his chest in a way he hoped the others might attribute to him still recovering, if they heard it. He was never sure how much a person could hear once they’d merged with their wolf. Certainly the wolf’s ears were better than a person’s but...

“Dazzling him with your smiles,” Benny pointed out.

Now it was Dean’s turn to blush, as the idea that Benny  _ and  _ Cas could find his smiles dazzling pushed its way into his brain, as he tried to find a way to answer that would take the heat off of him.

He wanted to hope that it meant something, but cold reality washed over him, reminding Dean that he couldn’t have  _ both _ of them, which would mean choosing and that was something Dean didn’t want to be forced to do.

How could he love just one of them and leave the other to think they weren’t worth loving too?

* * *

##  BENNY

* * *

Preparing for winter was both a welcome task and a race against time. Benny’s days were filled differently then when he’d been running day in and day out. It was still a matter of survival, but now there was room for  _ more. _

Benny and Castiel did a lot of the hunting and it fell to Dean to do the bulk of the work preserving it all once Benny and Castiel had dragged their kills back home.

Home.

Was this place  _ really _ home? Castiel was letting them stay through winter, but what about after? God, Benny hadn’t had a home, a place to  _ stay _ , in so long... 

When he wasn’t hunting, he worked on the windows, sometimes with Dean’s help. It took a lot of trial and error, shaping pieces of wood around existing shapes of broken glass to hold it, and then putting those inside a frame, but slowly they came together. As he got better, he even started arranging the broken glass into deliberate shapes, almost pictures. A sun here, a tree there. 

And so time flew by, busy and full. 

Benny took over the guitar that Dean had found, fixing the strings and coaxing better sounding music out of it in the evenings after their meals. When the first snowfall hit, they took the day off from their chores, all except for cooking. Benny sang some songs he remembered from his childhood, before things had changed and his pack had gone bad, before his packleader - in a bid to keep Benny under control - had killed his mate.

That had been his last straw. He’d attacked his packleader and barely gotten out of there with his skin and fur intact. He’d been on the run ever since. He wasn’t sure when the grief had faded, but he supposed after all this time, it would have to. Besides, things had changed, for the better. He hadn’t thought he’d ever love again and he’d not only gone and done, but he’d done it twice.

Castiel’s quiet pain and Dean’s silent determination had both struck a chord with Benny quickly, opening the road for him to learn more about his companions, to find that they were men well worth knowing and loving.

He’d been disappointed on Dean’s behalf when the first trial had failed. He hated seeing Dean in any sort of pain, Benny had realized early on. To be helpless through the pain was even worse. But also, he’d been looking forward to seeing Dean's wolf, and to seeing the joy and wonder on his face when he could finally shift. But it had not been meant to be, yet. 

And Castiel had truly stepped up, offering support and assistance whenever he could. Benny had found early on - contrary to all possible logic - that curling up around Dean while a wolf had helped ease Dean the most (by all rights, it should have made his fevers worse, but what did Benny know?). So it hadn’t really surprised him that two were better than one. 

What  _ had _ surprised him was that Castiel had offered. 

Benny had assumed that Castiel might be averse to touching of any sorts after being along for so long. He’d certainly shied away from the bulk of it when they’d first met but something had changed without Benny ever realizing it had. Looking back on it, he could remember more touching than he’d thought. 

In fact, thinking about it, it seemed like Castiel sought out the touches - hesitating only if it seemed like it would be an imposition. Which wasn’t really a problem. Benny had always been a touch-driven sort of fella, even for a wolf, and he just couldn’t help himself. Dean had never appeared to mind and Castiel - startled at first - seemed to lean into every touch with a sort of longing hunger that called to the wolf inside of Benny.

Dean was like Benny, prone to easy touches and, as he grew more comfortable, instigating hugs and cuddling sessions too. Castiel was harder, afraid to push into something but eagerly coming if invited. And Benny had started to wonder…

Were his feelings, perhaps, reciprocated?

It was a thought that plagued him since the last moon had passed. 

By the time Dean had wrapped away his brother's necklace, opting to leave the knife with it, the next moon loomed close and the three of them were locked in an easy pattern. Cooking together, working together, singing and reading together.

The moon came and went, Dean’s fever spiked again, the snows fell heavier and the air grew colder and eventually, what started as wolf cuddling for Dean’s benefit became a nightly thing. They gravitated towards the nest Benny and Dean had made, rather than the one Castiel used across the hall. It made sense, as Castiel’s was smaller, to use Dean and Benny’s pile of pillows and blankets rather than Castiel’s bed. 

There was no way three grown men of  _ their  _ size would fit in it... 

It was a heat thing, Benny tried to convince himself. The windows were still a mess, letting in more cold air than not, so of course it was just a heat thing - why  _ wouldn’t  _ Castiel take advantage of that while he could? Or Dean?

He knew he was just trying to keep himself from getting his hopes far too high, but what else could he do? He was older than Dean and more beat up than Cas and of them all, he had the prospect of danger that lingered around him. He needed to be ready, for their sake, to be able to up and leave at a moment's notice.

But a fella could dream, right?


	5. Chapter 5

##  CASTIEL

* * *

By the time the third moon came, Dean’s mother’s ring joining his other cherished possessions, Castiel was certain he was going to go crazy. The lingering glances he often caught between Dean and Benny filled him with envy, and the ones exchanged with  _ him _ filled him with confusion.

One moment he’d think they were in love with each other, then he’d think one of them was in love with him. Both couldn't be true. Or, well, all three, anyway. Oh, but how Castiel  _ longed. _

Dean spent the day before the first moon in fairly good spirits. This was the last trinket, so it was bound to work, and Castiel found himself just as eager to see Dean shift for the first time. He remembered the euphoria of his first shift, the onslaught of strange new smells and sounds, how the world seemed so much clearer to him in every way. 

It was beautiful to see the world through a wolf’s eyes, despite the shift in perspective, in color. It was almost…. More pure, perhaps. 

It was toward the evening that Castiel realized that the good spirits had turned into some… truly odd behavior on Dean’s part.

Dean’s head kept whipping up to stare at the walls, occasionally getting up to peer through the windows or even open a door. In fact, he stood so long in the door with it wide open that Benny took notice.

“Shut the damn door, Dean. It's cold out there. Don't want to undo the toasty coziness we got going on in here,” Benny said. “Takes far too long to get this area warm for you to be lettin’ it all out again.”

“Sorry, Benny,” Dean said. “I just, I thought I heard something.” He shook his head, closing the door and wandering over to where Benny and Castiel were working on dinner. Dean had been so antsy, they’d had to tell him to go do something else just to keep their sanity.

It wasn’t that they blamed Dean, but it was hard to work with him getting distracted every couple of seconds.

“It’s stormin’, Dean,” Benny said. “There ain’t nothing out there but wind and snow and anything too dumb to find shelter.”

Taking pity on him, Castiel gestured him over. Dean likely needed a distraction. Hopefully, Castiel could provide one that would  _ keep  _ him distracted. “Here, why don't you cut the potatoes while I peel, see if you can keep up?” He suggested, appealing to Dean’s competitive side and hoping that would work.

Dean sighed but Castiel’s words had done the trick, Dean all but rushing over to help. He took the knife Castiel handed him and settled down beside him on the bench where Castiel was peeling the potatoes.

After a few moments - 

“Dean, why are you sitting so close? If you don’t back away, one of us is going to get cut,” Castiel pointed out. Not that he usually minded Dean getting into his space, but Dean didn’t usually get  _ this _ close to Castiel. Casual touches as they passed each other, or passed things to each other was one thing, sleeping together another entirely.

_ This _ was definitely unusual.

“Oh, sorry,” Dean said, blinking. He shifted away a little and Benny came to stand behind them. 

"Anxious?" Benny asked softly, his voice deep enough that it still came out a rumble, one that Castiel had found he liked far too much for his own good.

Dean shrugged. "I guess," he said. "Part of me thinks it's not gonna work, cause when is my luck that good? But the other part says it will, cause I sure as hell was lucky with you two." Dean leaned back into Benny. Castiel watched as Benny’s eyebrows rose and he put a hand on Dean’s shoulder, giving it a little pat. Dean reached up, catching his hand and pulling it to his nose, eyes fluttering closed when he inhaled. "Fuck, but I've always loved they way you two smell but you both smell extra good tonight. Is it the close quarters? Did you do something different?"

Castiel blinked and put down his knife, turning to stare at Dean fully, reaching out to take Dean's chin in his and encourage Dean to look at him.

Dean's pupils were blown and his nostrils were flaring.

"Dean, I think it's working," Castiel said. "Your senses are sharpening - sound and smell especially."

Dean broke into a grin. "Wait, really?"

Benny cleared his throat, reclaiming his hand and then clapping Dean on the shoulder once more. "Congratulations," Benny said. "By this time tomorrow, you'll be a wolf."

For the shining joy in Dean’s eyes Castiel wished it was him that had broken the news. And yet… he couldn’t bring himself to be entirely jealous either.

* * *

##  DEAN

* * *

Cas was right. Dean was hearing everything, it felt like, and smells definitely seemed stronger as well. Briefly, he felt embarrassed for the way he’d scented Benny, but was too distracted by the sounds and smells he was picking up to keep hold of that embarrassment.

Throughout dinner he continued to lean in towards both Castiel and Benny, unable to pick just one smell he wanted to pursue. When it was time to sleep Dean found he couldn't, head twitching every time he heard a rustle outside or the sounds of night life that normally went unheard. 

"Come here," Benny said gruffly, shifting back from the wolf and pulling Dean into him. Dean slumped into him, deeply breathing in Benny's scent. 

But then he turned his head and whined. “Cas?”

There was an almost inaudible sound as Cas also shifted back into the shape of a man and then he murmured in Dean's ear. “I'm here, Dean.”

It was only then that Dean was able to relax as the two of them wrapped themselves around him - for the first time as humans, and not wolves. Dean was finding that scenario to be as pleasant as it was the other way, only  _ this _ was far more satisfying on a very different level.

A level Dean had been  _ trying _ to ignore.

He’d thought he was doing a pretty good job at it too, but this moon and his wolf were throwing everything into chaos, bringing things too close to the surface. He wanted to rub up against them, and only an iron will kept him from doing so, belatedly remembering that it was a wolf thing, this desire to mark them as his.

Acting on feelings he tried to keep hidden.

For the first time, Dean wondered if meeting his wolf, if learning how to  _ be _ a wolf would prove to be detrimental to him. As a younger shifter, he would have come into things more slowly, but this felt like far too much, all at once.

Like all the years he hadn't shifted was trying to catch up to him at the same time. His control would be.... well, as a younger shifter, it would have been tenuous at best. As an older one, if he was right...

Dean shuddered.

"What's wrong?" Benny asked.

"I - " Dean swallowed. He didn't want to admit this, but if he was right, they deserved to know. But having decided that, words failed him. How to explain that he didn't think he could control himself? How to explain why he was scared of that? Of the feelings that had been growing within him for both Benny and Cas? How did he do that without pushing them away?

"I don't feel... in control of myself," Dean finally said. "Nothing big now, but... I haven't even shifted yet. I fear..."

"That your lack of control will only get worse the closer you get to your wolf?" Cas asked.

"Yeah," Dean breathed.

Benny chuckled. "Hey, everyone goes through it. So what if you start howling at odd times, stick your nose in things you normally wouldn't? It's a lot to learn, a lot to get used to."

Cas, however, edged closer - could they even get that much closer? Dean tried not to flush - and rubbed his hand up and down Dean's arm. Dean knew he'd tensed again and Cas must be able to tell, pressed as they were against each other. 

"You're breathing awfully fast, Dean," Benny noted.

"He is," Cas agreed. "Dean, what are you afraid of? Is there something specific you're afraid you'll do? You know there's nothing to be embarrassed about your instincts, right?"

"What if my instincts are..." Dean stopped again and closed his eyes. "What if they are unwelcome?"

Dean held his breath as he let them parse that, figure out the implications of what he meant. He just couldn't say it any plainer. Oh,  _ by the moon _ , what if they didn't just have no interest in him, but were angered by his interest in them? Or that he dared to want both of them? 

"What do you - " Cas asked. Dean could almost  _ hear _ the way his brows knit up in confusion.

"Oh!" Benny said suddenly. "Really?"

Dean whined and nodded his head into Benny's chest.

"Both of us?"

Nodding again, Dean kept himself buried in their embrace, refusing to look up at Benny or behind him at Cas. It was easier, though not much, if he refused to look.

Benny inhaled. "Cher..."

Dean didn't know what that meant.

"I don't understand," Cas said flatly.

"It means Dean has feelings for us - both of us - and he's afraid he'll try to act on these feelings when his wolf instincts take over completely. And, correct me if I'm wrong, cher, but he's also worried we'll not only reject him, but push him out of here."

"I would never push him out. I wouldn't make  _ either  _ of you leave," Castiel said adamantly, his hands tightening around Dean. "I... I must confess I have... grown to like the both of you a great deal more than I have... ever liked anyone that I can remember, though it was so long ago. And perhaps even... even the same as Dean."

Dean's ears, had they already been wolf-like, would have perked up. Did that mean...

Benny groaned. "Are we all that  _ dense _ ?"

Stirring in Benny and Cas's arms, Dean finally dared to look up into Benny's gray blue eyes, then twisted to stare into Cas's deeper blues. "Is it mutual?" he breathed. 

"I'm thinkin' it might be," Benny agreed. He trailed a hand down Dean's cheek and cupped his jaw, then looked past Dean to Cas whose cheeks had become slightly flushed. "Didn't rightly think I could have either of ya, though. One or nothin', not both. Who could be that lucky?"

"I was thinking the same things," Castiel said. "That I was greedy to want so much more from both of you than what you've already given. Was it not enough that I wasn't alone anymore? But the two of you make it so easy to care for you, to fall for you."

Dean sighed and relaxed, feeling strangely boneless. "Thank the moon," he said. "I couldn't have borne it, if I'd done something I couldn't take back as the wolf part of me took charge, and it caused problems between us all."

"To be fair," Benny said, "I'm glad we settled this now, so we're all on the same page before that happens."

“What do you think is likely to happen?" Dean asked. "I mean, I know, a little, of course, how could I not? But it's hitting me harder, I think, than it should be."

"Don't rightly know," Benny said. "I've never known anyone who couldn't make the shift before."

"We discovered it early, for Gabriel, and I was pretty young. And Gabe was..." Castiel paused. "He was a handful already, so if he overdid it when he was a wolf..." He shrugged behind Dean, jostling them both.

Dean snorted a little. "I think I get the picture."

"I think we should just rest, let it happen as it will. We'll both be here for you, to show you the ropes and keep you out of trouble."

Castiel nodded. "I think that might be the best plan."

"Better be," Benny snarked but his face was split by a grin that made Dean's insides warm. "As it's the only one we got right now."

* * *

##  BENNY

* * *

It was both harder and easier to fall asleep that night. Easier, because the discussion with Dean and Castiel had eased that part of him that had been anxious about his own growing feelings. But also harder, because now he had an excitement that was hard to contain. He wanted…  _ so much _ … but now was _ not _ the time. 

They were all in for a rough couple of days - Dean the worst of all, most likely - and none of them knew how bad it might get. The first shift was never quite easy, and Dean's body had years to make up for, long overdue as it was.

Dean shifted in his arms, having turned to face Cas and press his back into Benny. Benny nuzzled into his neck before freezing briefly - then relaxing when remembering that this wasn’t unwanted, though he wouldn’t push any further than that, just now.

The feeling of Dean in his arms - while he’d loved curling around him as his wolf, there was something to be said for this, and if he stretched just a little bit further, his fingers grazed

over Cas’s arm. The muscles under his fingers twitched and he went to pull away - but then his fingers were caught and he blinked his eyes open to find Cas staring at him with a tentative smile.

Finally, at last, Benny fell asleep.

It didn’t last long, the sharp cry Dean gave as his body jerked against them startling Benny into wakefulness. It was a mere few hours later, he thought, judging by the level of darkness seen through the window and how low the fire had burned.

He sat right up, Cas in near unison with him as they both reached for Dean.

“Easy Dean, just breathe, don’t fight it,” Benny urged him. Dean shook in his arms and whimpered.

“I hate to see him in such pain,” Castiel said, edging close and grabbing at one of Dean’s hands. “I don’t remember Gabriel having such difficulty when he was able to touch his wolf at last.”

“Your brother was younger, though, hadn’t been denied the shift as long?”

“Correct.”

“I’m bettin’ that makes a world of difference,” Benny said. He said it lightly, but he was just as worried as Castiel was. Dean shook and whined and moaned, biting his lip and even drawing blood. He pulled away, curling in on himself while Benny hovered, exchanging worried glances with Castiel.

Benny shuddered at Dean’s obvious pain, racking his brains for anything they could do to help. He ran a hand over Dean’s bowed spine and whispered, knowing Dean’s over sensitive ears would pick him up. “It’ll be okay, Dean. We know yer hurtin’, you don’t have to hide from us.”

Gasping, Dean let his head drop to hit the floor. “Why did I want this so bad when it hurts  _ so much?” _

“It’ll get better, cher **,** ” Benny said. “Is there anything we can do? Anything you think might help?”

“I…” Dean gasped, his fingers flexing into the mass of blankets. “I don’t know.”

In an instant, Castiel had shifted, slinking low and nudging a little under Dean’s chin to urge him up off the floor. Dean was swift, hands coming up to grab fistfuls of Cas’s dark fur in what must be a painful grasp, but Castiel withstood it stoically. Dean buried his face in Cas’s fur. Benny wanted to change too, but decided to stay human for now, to continue to murmur words of reassurance and encouragement, to run his hand up and down Dean’s spine comfortingly.

They could take turns. They were in this together, all of them. Right?

It was hours of Dean like this, shivering and shuddering and crying into their fur as Benny and Castiel switched places. As a wolf, Benny could  _ smell  _ Dean’s pain and distress and it made him want to curl around Dean and lick him senseless, stand between him and the cause of Dean’s pain –

But he couldn’t, because the pain was  _ inside  _ of Dean and Benny was growing more and more concerned as it seemed never-ending.

He was glad for the stew he’d made the day before and left to simmer, and the fresh bread with which to eat it. It was hard feeding Dean between muscle spasms but they knew they needed to keep Dean’s strength up as his body burned energy learning how to be a wolf.

As dawn approached, Dean’s spasms and cries died away, though he still shook, his body drenched in sweat. There was no fever, though, which was the only plus. Castiel got up this time, leaving Dean draped all over Benny, his hands grasping fistfuls of Benny’s fur. It pulled, slightly, whenever Dean twitched, but Benny bore it for Dean’s sake.

Castiel returned with a steaming mug in one hand and the water jug in the other, refilled with fresh water.

“Dean, can you sit up and drink these?” Castiel asked. “Tea first, then more water.”

“What’s in the tea?” Dean mumbled tiredly into Benny’s fur. Benny turned and nudged Dean, urging him up. Dean groaned and rolled, pushing himself into a sitting position, Benny shifting to prop him up from behind.

“Soothing herbs, something to relax you. Your muscles must be all knotted up,” Castiel pointed out, handing him the mug. Dean’s hands shook a little when he took it but he didn’t spill any. He finished the tea as Castiel poured water into the mugs already scattered about the nest, taking his own drink. He looked at Benny in question and Benny shook his head. He’d drink later.

He needed Dean to be okay first.

* * *

##  DEAN

* * *

Dean swallowed the tea first, the warmth spreading through his body and easing something, though he still felt coiled and ready to spring. As Cas had said, his entire body felt like a knot, a gigantic bruise he couldn’t see. Everything felt all over like a cramp he’d massaged out but was lying in wait to ambush him again.

When he finished the water, Dean sighed and let his head fall back to rest along Benny’s back.

“This is exhausting,” Dean said.

“You seem to be in a lull. Maybe you should try and rest?” Castiel suggested.

Dean shook his head. “Think I’m too keyed up.”

Benny moved under him and Dean sat up quickly with Cas’s help. When he was clear, Benny stood and walked out from behind Dean, shifting back. Dean watched enviously as Benny did that fluidly, easily.

“We can help relax you,” Benny suggested. “If your muscles are as sore as we suspect, maybe a massage?”

The thought stopped Dean’s breath. He swallowed. “You think either of you getting your hands on me is gonna get me less riled up?”

“Well, we won’t if you don’t want us to, but it doesn’t hurt to try,” Benny pointed out.

Dean blew out a breath. “I suppose not.” He looked between Cas and Benny. “So, uh, which one…?”

“I have no idea how…” Castiel muttered, frowning and looking down, away from Dean. “I’d be of no use to you Dean, but for you I’d try.”

“Hey,” Benny said, his hand going to Cas’s chin and urging it up. “I do, though I haven’t done it for a spell. I could show you.”

Cas stared at Benny, mouth opened and eyes wide and they sat that way a long moment, causing Dean to think they might suddenly kiss. It set his pulse racing at the thought of watching that, of them turning to him right after. Which would be the first? He suspected Benny, but Cas had a way of surprising them both so Dean wouldn’t count him out.

“I would like that, thank you,” Cas said softly .

“All right, then,” Benny said. “Dean, you’ll want to take off your shirt and roll over. We’ll start with your back.” Nodding, Dean struggled to slip the shirt off and then did just that, wincing at the aches and pains as he did and letting out a soft hiss. 

Once he’d laid back down into the nest they had made, Benny and Cas moved too. They settled in above him, Benny straddling Dean while Cas knelt beside them both, leaning in. Benny’s big, warm hands slid over Dean’s back, soft and gentle and slow as Benny murmured quiet instructions and pointed out various spots on Dean’s back.

“Now, I don’t know the names of any of these, but I found if you put pressure _ here _ , roll your palm like this…”

Dean groaned as Benny worked magic. It hurt, but it was the good kind of hurt. “You  _ can  _ use your fingers, to great effect, but it’s tiring and damaging to your hands, so I reserve that for particular knots that need a little extra care.”

Benny soon had turned Dean into a drooling puddle under him, and then he and Cas switched places. Cas’s hands were tentative, but just as strong. Between them, Dean found himself truly relaxing for the first time in… days?

“What I don’ understand,” Dean slurred. “Is why was my mother’s ring spelled? Cause it sure wasn’t Bobby’s knife or Sam’s necklace.”

“I can’t say I know the answer to that,” Benny said. “The next question is, once you’ve made the shift, does the spell hold the same weight as before, or will it have broken on it’s own?”

“You know there’s only one way to tell, right?” Cas said, his hands pausing. “And I am loathe to see Dean enduring this agony again.”

“Can’t say I disagree,” Benny agreed. “But that ain’t our choice, it’s Dean’s.”

Dean let out a breath. “I ain’t thinkin’ about that now. I… can’t.”

“There’s no rush, Dean,” Cas said, his hands resuming their work. He wasn’t as skilled as Benny, maybe, but both of them felt so good on Dean’s skin, easing away the burn of his muscles little by little and setting up a tingling going down his spine.

Groaning, Dean stretched, his eyes slipping closed as he luxuriated in the sensations traveling through his body, at the scents of Benny and Cas, grown sharper again since the morning before... 

And then the world shifted on its axis and everything felt instantly  _ different.  _

The feel of Cas’s hands changed, and Dean could hear the quiet ‘oh,’ that slipped from Cas’s lips as loud as anything. There was a weight across Dean’s back that hadn’t been there before and when he pushed up, it scrambled away. He stood and shook himself, swung his head around and realized -

He was standing on four feet.


	6. Chapter 6

##  CASTIEL

* * *

“Oh, you’re beautiful,” Castiel said reverently. He stared at Dean as he stood and shook himself all over - before promptly falling over when he overbalanced. Dean was large - not quite as big as Benny or Castiel, but not having been able to shift would have stunted the growth of Dean’s wolf. That would likely change now. 

Dean’s fur was a beautiful medley of golden browns ranging in shades of light to dark. His eyes were still green, but the flecks of gold that marked a shifted wolf floated in his eyes as well. He stood again, taking a tentative step forward, then another, until he was brushed up against both Castiel’s and Benny’s legs.

“He most definitely is,” Benny agreed, running his hands through Dean’s fur. Dean leaned into it happily, then turned to look at Castiel as if to ask why he wasn’t joining in. So Castiel did, threading his fingers into the fur. It was soft, almost puppy soft though Dean was certainly bigger than a puppy. He wasn’t quite full grown, Castiel thought, though he wasn’t sure.

“He’s also shameless,” Benny said with a laugh as Dean wriggled under their hands happily, sniffing at them, then jumping up and licking up both their faces.

Castiel frowned. “There is nothing shameful about his behavior. It is all perfectly normal for a newly shifted wolf.”

“I know,” Benny said gently, taking Castiel’s hand in his and giving it a squeeze, startling Castiel into looking up at Benny. “I was only teasing Dean.”

“Oh,” Castiel said, feeling his hackles go down. While they were lost in staring at each other, Dean tore away and started bounding around the hall, bumping into things with his wagging tail and poking his nose into stuff to smell it.

Benny and Castiel both jumped when they heard a crash and a small, embarrassed yip.

“Though we might want to take him outside to burn a little of that energy off,” Benny said. “We could show him a few ins and outs of being a wolf at the same time.”

“That… might be for the best,” Castiel agreed, when Dean reappeared from behind a table, covered in… was that the leftover stew?

After cleaning up what did, indeed, prove to be stew, it didn’t take much to convince Dean to go outside with them, despite the thick blanket of snow on the ground. Soon they were shifted too, all three of them romping about in the snow in and among the abandoned buildings, though Castiel growled when they strayed too near their gardens.

The nice thing about all of them having shifted, was that as wolves, they could still talk to each other, though it was a little more limited. It had been frustrating, once or twice, to try and impart something of importance to Dean and not be able to convey it without shifting. This way was much easier.

It wasn’t quite sound, or even body language, and it wasn’t even words, exactly. But somehow, with a glance, Castiel would know what the others were saying.

Right now, Benny was explaining the different nuances of smell as a benefit of tracking, Dean following along sniffing at whatever Benny pointed him at. Soon enough, Dean was pushing to test it out and Benny let him. With a glance from Benny, Castiel sent him a wolfish grin, then disappeared into the brush along the edge of the trees, laying out a simple trail for Dean to follow, finding game trails to hide his paw prints and taking great care to take large jumps that would not make his leaving the trail quite so obvious despite the snow.

He knew Dean  _ could  _ track and hunt, and he was pretty decent at it too, but as a wolf – Castiel was sure Dean would become an even better hunter now. It’d been a while since he played one of these tracking games though, and when he came to a stop at the stream, he wondered if he’d made the task too hard. 

Moments later, Dean blundered through the snow covered brush, knocking it clean, all big paws and gangly limbs, making far more noise than a normal wolf would make, and barreled into Castiel, Benny more sedately at his heels.

_ Found you,  _ Dean gloated.

Castiel gave in to the urge to lick at Dean’s muzzle and did so.  _ So you did. Good work. _

_ He’s got promise,  _ Benny noted, but he looked proud. Dean wiggled, churning up the snow. It was great to see Dean so deliriously happy. A part of him wondered if there were other ways to achieve that and Dean stopped wiggling, sniffing the air. Benny gave Castiel a sharp, knowing look and Castiel ducked his head a little.

If he could blush as a wolf, he would be.

_ What is that? That smell? _ Dean asked, nosing forward.

Castiel squirmed away.  _ Later. Ready for another run? _

Dean perked up and he almost bounced in place with eagerness and excitement. It was so interesting to see how expressive Dean’s wolf was. Not that Dean wasn’t open as a human, showing care and affection easily, but he was still far more guarded than this version of him was. No wonder he’d been worried about accidentally revealing his feelings for them. It would have been inevitable.

This time, Castiel laid out a harder trail, doubling back in some places and walking along the stream for a bit in others before crossing it.

It took Dean longer to find him, but he still did it, nose flaring as he made his way to the place Castiel had holed up for a break. He didn’t tackle Castiel this time, but stood proudly, tongue lolling in another, wide grin. Benny came up alongside Dean and shoulder bumped him.

_ My turn,  _ he said, turning and disappearing. Castiel kept Dean busy while he gave Benny a head start and then set him loose, following Dean as Benny led Dean on a trail of twists and turns and false ends.

Dean improved quickly, both in his ability to track by scent alone and in moving quieter than he had been. He was by no means an expert by the time they finished the tracking games for the day, but he’d done well.

When they got back in for the night, Dean showed no desire to return to his human form, nor any distress at not being able to, so Benny and Castiel let him be. Castiel remembered when he had first shifted – he’d wanted to remain a wolf for a while, exploring all the new things he could do and all the different ways he could interact with the world. Dean was no different, and he had a lot of time to make up for.

It was definitely something worth indulging.

All that training and fun had tired them out though, and they slept well that night, curled around each other while all three of them were wolves. Castiel couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt so relaxed and at peace, so…  _ at home. _ And this was a feeling that these two strangers – though strangers no more – had somehow brought to him. He hadn’t realized how badly he’d missed this until it was his again.

Castiel settled in deeper, huffing out a blissed sigh.

And he dreamed of his pack’s home, all fixed up and filled with life and laughter, of a new pack with Benny and Dean and Castiel at its core, and wondered if something like that might actually be in their future.

He was surprised to realize that he was  _ yearning  _ for that, nearly as much as he had been yearning for closeness to both Dean and Benny.

* * *

##  BENNY

* * *

This new side of Dean was something wonderful to see. Dean’s wolf was playful, and Dean was a quick learner. In no time at all, it seemed, he was nearly as good a hunter as Benny and Castiel both were.

They spent their nights together as wolves, none of them wishing yet to complicate things between them by anything more, not when Dean was learning how to reconcile with a whole new part of himself, but the affection was still there in every action and word.

Over the course of the week, some of the lessons shifted to happen at night, giving Dean a chance to extend his night senses, particularly his eyesight. That meant they slept in a little later and Benny would find Castiel bent over a book.

“What are you readin’?” he asked, as he worked on breakfast. The one thing Dean was getting away with right now as a wolf at all times, was not doing any chores, but Benny figured they could be lenient. This was all new to Dean, after all. The newness would fade eventually, and life would return to normal with the added benefit that Dean would be able to become his wolf any time he wanted or needed to.

“I was looking for ways to break the spell, should Dean’s transformation not be enough to break it,” Castiel said quietly. “It would be a shame to have to lose a part of his mother like that, if we couldn’t find a way.”

“Do you have things from your family you wish you still had?”

Castiel sighed and looked out the windows Benny had slowly been fixing. He had maybe half of one wall fixed, the work having significantly slowed down once they’d started spending time with Dean as their wolves, showing him the ropes. He was proud of the work, though, the light coming in and refracting around the hall in small rainbows and broken beams. It was a little ethereal, he thought.

“What more could I want? I am surrounded by reminders of them every day.”

Benny looked around the hall that Castiel had turned into an entire living area in a way it had never been meant to serve. “I was thinking something of a more personal nature.”

Dean, laying over Castiel’s feet, suddenly whined, his head pushing up into Castiel’s lap. Castiel chuckled sadly. “No, I suppose… the books are what I have left. Everything of true value was taken or destroyed. Our house was on the edges and one of the first to fall.

“That burned-out husk?” Benny asked slowly, wondering if he should stop asking questions. This had to be painful for Castiel.

He nodded. “We all retreated here… where it was supposed to be safe. But the tunnels and dens hadn’t been finished, and there was someone among them that pushed past the spell on the hall meant to turn people away. Like it did you, on your first day.”

“I’m so sorry,” Benny said.

Castiel cleared his throat. “So, I understand a little of how Dean must feel, about losing that connection to his loved ones. I would do whatever I could to ensure that he doesn’t.”

Benny put down the spoon he’d been using and strode over to Castiel, straddling the bench to sit down beside him. He took Castiel’s shoulders in his hands and stared him deep into startled blue eyes. “You’re a good person, Castiel.”

“Oh, no… I just empathize – “ He was interrupted by Dean scrabbling under the table and hitting the top of it on his way out, before suddenly Dean’s wolf was gone and Dean was there again on two feet for the first time in days. His face looked heartbroken and awed at the same time and he climbed onto the bench on Castiel’s other side. His mouth was pressed tight and his eyes were bright and then he threw his arms around Castiel and buried his face into Castiel’s hair.

Castiel turned, trying to see Dean but wasn’t able to move fast enough before being trapped in Dean’s arms. He didn’t fight it though, Benny was pleased to note, but he slumped forward and Benny caught him, pulling Castiel’s head to rest upon his chest as Dean continued to hug him from behind.

“I think it’s been a rough go all around for all of us,” Benny said. “but I’m glad to have found this place, and you. I’m tired of runnin’, and I’m tired of bein’ alone and I still can’t believe we’ve found each other like this, an’ that we all want each other just the same.”

Dean’s head moved, lifted and then leaned forward against the side of Castiel’s head. “Does that mean it’s finally kissing time? I’ve been dying to kiss both of you for ages now.”

Benny let out a chuckle. “Well now, who’s damn fault was that? I ain’t kissing a wolf and getting fur in my mouth.”

“What’s the difference? You got plenty of it on your face already, no matter which form you’re in,” Dean smirked.

Chuckling again, Benny got up to pull the food from the fire before it burned, setting it to cool before returning to Dean and Castiel. He sat down beside Castiel and looked at Castiel with searching eyes. “How about you, Cas? You ready for that?”

“I think…” Cas said, swallowing, then sending a nod their way. “Yes, yes I am.”

Benny could feel the smile curving at his lips, the swoop of his stomach as he looked from Cas’s chapped lips to Dean’s plush ones and back again. Reaching around Castiel, Benny settled his hand on the back of Castiel’s neck, easing him forward even as Benny leaned in to meet him. Their lips met, soft, tentative – Benny didn’t think Castiel had any experience in this area, not if he’d been alone for so long, and who knew how much Dean even had. Of them all, Benny probably knew the most of what was going on, and even then he still felt blindsided by the explosion of feelings that the simple touch sent through him.

He pulled away with tingling lips, staring into Castiel’s glazed over eyes, surprised bliss painted on his face, lips parted and wet. Benny’s eyes moved past Castiel – he didn’t have to look far – to find Dean staring at them both with blown pupils and breathing somewhat unevenly. Benny shifted in his spot, guiding his hand to Dean’s jaw and pulling him in for his own kiss. Where Cas had been a little hesitant, Dean moved in eagerly, clumsily, catching Benny’s mouth with his own.

Dean may not know as much as Benny, but it was clearly not his first kiss, and Benny suddenly wasn’t sure how to feel about that, the surge of possessiveness over both Dean  _ and  _ Castiel flitting up out of nowhere.

It was stupid, since there wasn’t even anyone here Benny had to worry about taking Dean or Castiel away. And yet…

Benny pulled away, his breathing now a little ragged with the perfection of the two distinctly different kisses. Dean gave him a self-satisfied smile and then urged Castiel to turn enough to face Dean. Dean took Castiel’s face in both hands and tapped their foreheads together. “You good or do you need more of a breather?”

Benny could understand the question. Castiel still wasn’t used to most casual touches, and this was far more than that. Still, Castiel nodded and then Dean pressed their lips together, a little more gently then he had with Benny – at least at first – but then the kiss turned hungry before Benny’s eyes. Benny felt a stirring further south, and he swallowed.

Was this how both of them felt watching him kiss the other? He had been briefly worried if this was going to work with the three of them when that possessive streak had raised its ugly head, but this, this was going to kill that worry before it could even get a handhold. His reaction was too favorable for that possessiveness to be a factor.

If there were others, then yes, but there weren’t. It was just the three of them, and while Benny might one day wish for a full pack to share his new home, Dean and Castiel would be enough.

* * *

##  DEAN

* * *

Life, right now, was the most wonderful thing Dean could have ever imagined.

Being a wolf was almost magical, in a way; a whole new world opened before Dean that he had never been able to properly imagine, despite what everyone had told him. A world of scent and sound he’d never known existed, and his eyesight, while duller in color, was uncanny. Who knew there were so many different shades of gray?

And then there was Benny and Cas.

They’d been patient with him, more than that, even. They’d taught him skills he should have long since known if his life had gone as it had been meant to, and they never belittled him for the things he did not know. Not like his father would have. They were supportive and best of all –

They hadn’t rejected his affection.

And then they had kissed. Dean hadn’t known what it would be like to watch Benny and Cas kiss, the two people he held so close to his heart, but it had been beautiful. And judging by the expressions on their faces, Benny and Cas had held similar thoughts when it was their turn to watch Dean kiss the other.

It made Dean want to wriggle in happiness, an urge that was stronger now that he had been able to reach his wolf at long last.

The only darkness on the otherwise bright spots of his life was his mother’s ring, cursed to hurt Dean. It… could have been broken upon his shift, but Dean found himself reluctant and scared to test that theory. What if it wasn’t? And then he’d have to do this all over again? What if it was just as painful then as it had been the first time he shifted? That pain wasn’t normal, Dean knew that. Neither Benny nor Cas showed an inkling of pain no matter which way they were shifting, and Dean didn’t think either of them were acting to push past the pain and shift.

Why would they?

No, the pain had been the result of a shift long denied, the curse that had laid upon Dean. What if wearing his mother's ring once more returned the curse to him? Now that he had been the wolf, he could never willingly give that up, the access to it, no matter how temporary.

Then a chilling thought occurred to him.

What if it had been one of the other objects he’d carried? One of his other mementos? What if he’d needed to be separated from it for a particular length of time to weaken the spell and the separation from his mother’s ring had been merely coincidence? So then, if he avoided his mother's ring, put Sam’s necklace back where it belonged and reclaimed the knife Bobby had given him, then all of this could start all over again.

Dean spent several sleepless nights over this worry before he finally confided in Benny and Cas.

He lay between them under their shared blankets, wholly naked. Benny leaned up on an elbow, looking down at Dean while Cas quietly took Dean’s hand in his own and threaded their fingers together, giving him a solemn, concerned look.

“There’s no rush, Dean,” Benny said. “No shame in wanting to wait, either.”

“But… it’s all I have left of them,” Dean protested, his voice sounding weak, even to his ears.

“From all that you have said of them, I do not think they would begrudge you a little space,” Cas said. His other hand came up, fingers rubbing over Dean’s knuckles. “We could… make a project of it? A display?” 

Dean bit his lip, looking up into Cas’s hesitant, earnest eyes. “What are you suggesting?”

Cas shrugged, looking away, but Benny chuckled. “No, I see what he’s gettin’ at. Repurposing them into something else. Like with the broken glass and the windows. They obviously don’t hurt you, tucked away as they are instead of being on your person. Why not put them where you can see them all the time? Honor your loved ones and keep your memories of them alive and visible.”

Blinking, Dean considered that. “Huh. That’s… not a bad idea. I kinda feel naked without them though -”

“Well,” Benny drawled. “You  _ are  _ naked. And it’s a damn good sight too.” Benny’s eyes roamed over Dean, what little was exposed of him with Benny propped up like that, and Dean burned hot.

“I have to agree,” Cas said. “I enjoy looking my fill of you, of both of you. Of being able to touch and bring you both pleasure.” Awe filled his face and Dean’s embarrassed chuckle died away, the urge to playfully smack Benny’s shoulder fading at the naked emotion on Cas’s face.

“I’m so glad I am not alone anymore,” Cas whispered. “I’m sorry for the things that brought you to me, but not that you are here.”

“Cas,” Dean whispered, drawing Cas inward and tucking Cas’s head into Dean’s neck. Cas went limp against him, his fingers tightening around Dean’s hand. Dean placed a hand on his back and rubbed up and down his spine, looking up at Benny with wide eyes. Benny laid back down, wrapping himself around them both like a giant blanket.

They all had issues and demons of their own, Dean knew. All of them had fears of being left alone, for one reason or another. But neither Dean nor Benny had been alone as long as Cas had. Shifters lived long and Dean suspected Cas was far older than he’d originally thought, though he wasn’t sure  _ Cas  _ knew how old he was. 

It didn’t matter. The state of the place, if this had been Cas’s home once as he’d said, was statement enough.

However long it had been, it had been too long.

The pain of being alone, of imagining Cas being alone for so long - surrounded by the ghosts of his pack, his _ family -  _ it sent a piercing stab into Dean’s heart and he knew it did Benny too. He wanted to take care of Cas the way he deserved, the way no one had for ages.

That the feeling was mutual, that Cas and Benny wanted him in return, when his own family had not - it was amazing. It was… it was everything. Even if they had not, somehow, fumbled their way towards  _ this,  _ towards them all being  _ together _ , it would have been enough, Dean thought.

Maybe.

He  _ was  _ addicted to their kisses already, and to their touch. Warm and gentle hands, rough fingertips that caressed him softly, words that whispered love and care and tenderness and filling a hole that had been growing deeper for years…

But not anymore.

He’d found a home of his own and people to love, hold and cherish.

What else could he ask for?


	7. Chapter 7

## DEAN

* * *

The winter passed swiftly with Cas and Benny at his side, showing him the ways of the wolf. The lessons were held at any time of the day or night, as it struck them, but the rest of their time was filled the same as before - with chores such as hunting, cooking, keeping things neat and tidy. They all helped Benny with replacing the windows - over half had been done at this point but it was slow going even with the help of Dean and Cas.

There was reading to be done, and decisions to make. With Dean and Benny to help, Cas started clearing out some of the old rooms, burning what had rotted away in a bonfire outside - they didn’t want the smell of it permeating through the hall - and saving what could be saved.

Their leisure time was filled with music, laughter, and stories. It was also filled with other sounds, as they learned each other’s bodies, what touches each of them preferred the most, what made each of them sing or howl with pleasure. 

This winter was, all told, a far cry from what Dean had feared his first winter away from pack and home would entail. He’d been kicked out for less than a year, and he knew he hadn’t been expected to survive. Without Benny - and now Cas - Dean feared he wouldn't have.

And he wasn’t altogether certain it would have been the lack of shelter, food or company that would have taken him.

He was running through the forest with Castiel and Benny at his side when this horrifying thought came to him and Dean stumbled, coming to a halt.

Benny and Cas were almost out of sight before they realized Dean had stopped and they turned around, radiating concern.

 _Are you hurt?_ Cas asked.

Dean shook his head but before he could reply, his head snapped up and his nostrils flared. _Do you smell that?_

Benny and Cas both whirled, casting about for the same scent Dean had found. They stiffened when they did, obviously not expecting what they had found.

 _Wolves!_ Cas growled as the word flared between them all.

 _Easy,_ Benny said, pressing against Cas to provide comfort. Dean quickly did the same from the other side. It also had the benefit of slowing Cas down should he decide to charge forward on the offensive, but Dean didn’t think he would. He hadn’t when they’d wandered into his territory, after all.

 _Could be travelers, like we were,_ Dean offered. He scented the air again. _Whoever they are, I think they need help._

Cas stopped growling, but he was still stiff between them as he also raised his nose to sniff more deeply.

 _I’ll check it out,_ Benny said, starting to move away.

 _No!_ Cas darted forward, blocking Benny’s way, distress pouring off him in waves that made Dean almost sick. _Not alone. If it’s a trick, if something happens..._

 _We go together,_ Dean agreed. _We don’t all have to reveal ourselves when we get there, if we’re careful._

Benny nodded. _I can agree to that._ He looked at Cas who hesitated, then nodded and stepped out of the way.

Cautiously, the three of them spread out and moved forward. The way was slow going as they kept all senses tuned for traps, for something to change. What they found was no danger.

What they found were kids.

Two blonde children – an older girl, maybe about 14, the boy a few years younger - huddled together under a tree, both of them too young to meet their wolves.

Too young to be out here alone. No food, no shelter, not even a decent coat between them. And they _were_ alone. There was no trace of anyone else. Dean looked to Benny and Cas, more experienced at picking out things like that but it was clear they agreed. By unspoken agreement, it was Benny who stepped out of the shadows first.

The boy smiled happily, big and wide and filled with hope, while the girl stared with squinty eyed suspicion.

“Who are you?” she demanded harshly. She pulled the boy closer to her. Dean could see she held a knife in her other hand.

Benny stopped where he was and, in the blink of an eye, he shifted, immediately crouching so as not to be so tall and intimidating.

“My name’s Benny,” Benny said gently. “What are you young’uns doing way out here? There’s nothin’ out here for weeks.”

The girl raised her chin defiantly. “None of your business.”

The boy tugged at her. “Claire, I’m hungry.”

“Claire, is it?” Benny nodded. “It’s nice to meet you. And what’s your name?” he asked, inclining his head towards the boy.

“I’m Jack,” the boy answered easily, even as Claire hissed at him to be quiet. Dean wondered what had happened that made Claire so distrustful.

“Well, Claire, Jack, why don’t you come back with us, we can get you some food and shelter for the night at least.”

“Us? Who’s us?” Claire demanded. “We’re not going anywhere with you!”

“But Claire…” Jack whined, crawling into her lap. “I’m hungry and he has food.”

Dean decided to join Benny, padding up alongside him and sitting down, his tail wagging in what Dean hoped would be taken as a friendly gesture. He didn’t like the idea that these kids were alone but he understood their wariness – or at least, Claire’s wariness.

He had been as well in the brief time he’d spent wandering alone, and both Benny and Cas had cause to distrust other shifters, so it was no stretch to believe these kids did as well. He didn’t know how they could possibly convince them they meant no danger to the children, but they had to try.

The idea that they’d be out here in the snow and cold without food and shelter – it made Dean sick. What if that had been his brother? He could easily imagine it.

“How many of you are there?” Claire asked. Her hand wavered, as did her voice. She was tired, dark circles under her eyes. Hungry, too, which probably accounted for the wobble.

“Just the three of us, promise,” Benny said, Cas edging out from behind the tree he’d been using as cover. Something about the way he was moving skittishly forward seemed to ease Claire a little. “If you’re tired of walking, we can carry you?”

Benny looked at Cas specifically and, after a second, Cas nodded. Dean would have protested, but he was still new at being a wolf, sometimes losing the instinct for a second or two and stumbling, and he wouldn’t want to dump one of the children into the snow or against something hard when he did.

“All right then,” Benny said. “Jack, this is Castiel. It’s his home we’re going to. You’ll need to make sure you hold on good and tight, all right?”

Jack nodded eagerly as the two children stood. Claire hesitated, then put away the knife, walking Jack over to Castiel. Dean stayed sitting as Benny picked Jack up and placed him astride Cas’s back, urging him to grab fistfuls of fur. Cas winced but didn’t make a sound.

“I’ll carry you,” Benny said to Claire. “Let Dean know if you need help climbing up.”

“I can do it!” she snapped.

Benny nodded, and Dean could see his lips twitching but he managed not to break into a grin that would hurt the girl’s pride. And then he was a wolf once more, nice and large and she stared for a second before taking a breath and climbing onto Benny. Dean watched her face melt a little as she touched Benny’s fur. He knew how soft and warm Benny’s fur was, how comforting it could be, and was glad if she was drawing any amount of comfort out of them as she could.

Then Cas started moving, knowing the way back the best, Benny following so Claire could keep her eyes on Jack, and Dean taking up the rear to watch their backs.

After all, they didn’t know why these children had been out here.

* * *

## CASTIEL

* * *

The feeling of someone, even a child, on his back was foreign to him. It set him on edge, nearly as much as the fact that they’d found _children_ out in the wilds unattended. But already, there was a part of him that was feeling protective of them. The littlest, Jack, held on with complete trust, the shiver of his body from cold and exhaustion pushing Castiel to go faster.

He could hear both Benny and Dean running along behind him as they made their way back. He slowed as they approached the break in the trees, ears swiveling and nose flaring as he checked for signs of other intruders before stepping out into the open. He’d been more lax, of late, lulled first by the fact that he’d been left alone for years upon years, and then further by the fact that Dean and Benny were more than welcome and not the nightmares he’d feared for so long.

But now, with Jack and Claire wandering about unattended, unaided –

Castiel feared what they might be running from.

Sensing no immediate danger, he stepped out of the trees, making straight for the main building. When he reached it, he realized his conundrum, with Jack on his back and clutching his fur tightly, but then Dean was there, shifted and already opening the door before Castiel could bring the issue to light.

There were, of course, other entrances that allowed wolves easier access, but they had long since fallen into disrepair. As he brought Jack inside, Castiel took a look around the hall with a fresh perspective.

Maybe it was time that things changed. Maybe it was time to clear out some of the old rooms, unblock the wolf doors and even work on repairing the outer buildings? Not that he expected to need all that space, but then, Castiel had never expected to have people around again either, and look how wrong he’d been about that.

He stopped by the firepit, the banked fire still glowing steadily, and he carefully laid down to let Jack slide off. The boy hesitated, clearly comfortable nestled into Castiel’s fur, but then he let go and inched a little closer to the fire. Castiel shifted, poking at the fire carefully and feeding it wood to bring it back to life. As it did, the warmth of it spread and he could see little Jack’s shoulders relaxing.

Dean stepped forward then, a blanket in his hand and he tucked it around Jack. “Hey, we’re gonna grab you some food. You and your sister just get warm, okay?” Dean said, even as Claire joined them. She was looking around, her hand hovering about the knife on her waist, but she was shivering too.

Castiel skittered back and away, not bothering to change. He retreated to his own bed – not the nest he, Dean and Benny had been sharing since just before Dean’s shift – and watched them all moving around each other. Jack took the food Dean brought him eagerly, while Claire continued to be suspicious, pressed against Jack's side, protective. She _did_ accept the blanket Benny brought, though, wrapping it tight around her shoulders before taking the food Dean gave her.

She didn’t touch it till Dean and Benny sat down nearby with their own plates of food. She watched them, taking her own bite only after they took theirs. Castiel’s stomach rumbled but he was torn between hunger, fear and being overwhelmed.

“What’s wrong with _him?”_ Claire sneered around her food.

“Nothin’,” Benny said. “It’s just a lot of people at once, I think. He’s been alone a long time. It took him a little while to get used to us too.”

“Why?”

“That’s not our story to tell,” Dean said, and Castiel almost melted with relief that they wouldn’t be telling tales. “I think we all have one, though. What about you? How’d you two get out here all alone?”

Claire’s shoulders hunched together and she went mute, stabbing at her food and eating it. Jack edged closer to her, finishing his food and looking around with far more curiosity than fear. It was… refreshing, Castiel thought, to see that.

Dean and Benny left the children alone, then, not pushing for anything more, though they offered more food if it was wanted. Jack yawned, stood and before Castiel could do more than register the child heading his way, Jack dropped down beside him, curling up into his fur, the blanket dragged over him still.

Castiel startled, head raising up from his paws and then freezing, not wanting to disturb the small child that had decided to use him as a bed. The _trust_ , the unbridled _innocence_ about an act like that made Castiel whine uncertainly.

“Jack!” Claire snapped. “What are you doing?”

“Mm tired,” Jack murmured, his hands thrusting into Castiel’s fur.

“Cas, that okay?” Dean asked, approaching them slowly and crouching beside Castiel and the boy. Uncertainly, Castiel nosed at the boy and then huffed out a sigh before curling around him, tucking his nose against Jack's back. “Well, guess that answers that,” Dean said with a chuckle.

Sleeping with Jack was different then sleeping with Benny or Dean. It was something… something Castiel couldn’t put his finger on, but it was _special,_ warm even. He drifted off to sleep, feeling protective of the strange boy, despite the fact that all Castiel knew about him was his name.

When he woke in the morning, he found Claire had joined them, though she hadn’t let herself get close enough to even touch them. She was curled into a ball beside them in her own blanket, her face having lost the suspicion and wariness, showing how young she truly was.

It made his heart ache for them.

His ears swiveled at a sound and he looked up to see Dean beside him. “Still okay?” Dean asked softly. Castiel rolled his eyes, because he couldn’t really answer like this and he didn’t want to shift and disturb the children. “Right, stupid question.” He looked down and scrubbed at his chin with his hand. “Benny and I thought we’d go out, look around. Make sure there’s nothin’, y’know, _bad_ out there.”

Oh, that sounded good. A strong plan. Except for the part that it left Castiel alone with the children and no idea what to do, other than to worry about Benny and Dean the whole while they were gone. He whined, wishing he could speak to Dean properly.

Benny appeared at Dean’s side. “Breakfast is ready,” he said just as quietly. “We’ll try not to take too long. Keep the kids safe.”

Castiel rolled his eyes. What did they _think_ he was going to do?

“Benny, I think you offended him,” Dean said, a crooked smile popping up onto his face.

“Well, now, that wasn’t my intention. I’ll just have to make it up to him when we get back,” Benny drawled out. Cas huffed out an affirmative and laid his head back down, watching Dean and Benny leaving by the front door, a blast of cold air dipping in before they got it closed up behind them again.

* * *

## BENNY

* * *

Benny shifted as soon as they’d gotten outside, and Dean wasn’t too far behind him. He still wasn’t sure this was a good idea, taking Dean along. He was still learning how to wolf, how to track and move silently. And he’d never had an opportunity to practice fighting.

By the moon, he hoped those kids were out here because of a tragic accident and nothing more nefarious. They weren’t ready for something that big. Three grown adults – one who’d barely gotten acquainted with his wolf - and two kids wouldn’t be much protection if another pack came after them.

 _You think Cas is really okay?_ Dean asked as they loped alongside each other.

 _He’ll be fine, Dean. You think a couple of kids will overpower him?_ Benny asked, though he, too, was worried. Castiel hadn’t seemed very comfortable at all, very much out of his element. Which made it all the more amusing that the kids had somehow taken to him.

At least he wasn’t growling at them.

 _Of course not, but…_ Dean trailed off. _Do you really think we’ll find something?_

 _I’m hoping not,_ Benny answered. _There was no scent of sickness, no smell of anyone else for miles. No telling why they were out here, not till they tell us anyway._

They fell silent, though the way they were talking didn’t make an outward sound anyway. But if there _were_ other wolves out there, other shifters, they’d be heard and that was the last thing they needed, especially if they proved to be hostile.

They went out in widening semi circles from the place they’d made their home, moving away from the cliff it was built into. They’d worry about checking the top of the cliff later. They kids had been found down here and hadn’t looked like they’d been doing any real climbing. Keeping their eyes and ears peeled they searched the woods for hours, taking particular note of the kids’ backtrail, but they found nothing.

That didn’t mean there wasn’t anything to find, only that there was nothing to find _yet._

Benny hoped it snowed again soon, covering up the trail the children had inevitably left behind. If there was anything bad looking for them, that would make it a little harder at least. Only time would get rid of their scents.

 _Let’s get back,_ Benny said, bumping shoulders with Dean. Dean nodded and the two of them turned for home.

Home.

Was this really home, now? It must be, right? They not only lived there, but the three of them had tentatively started something between them. Surely Castiel would not ask them to leave once spring came and the snows melted?

And now there were the children to consider. He didn’t know about Dean or Cas, but Benny had always wanted kids, and it wasn’t like the three of them could have any of their own. If they stayed…

They made better time getting back then going out and it wasn’t long before Dean and Benny were shaking off the remnants of the snow they’d picked up. Shifting, they quickly stepped inside the hall and its blissful warmth. The hall was big, which made it drafty, so not as warm as they could have wanted, but it was a damn sight warmer than outside and Benny closed his eyes briefly before heading for the fire and sticking his hands out to warm them. 

Looking around, he was surprised to see it was just him and Dean and his hackles went up immediately.

“Dean,” he barked out. Dean’s head snapped up, already moving closer to Benny.

“What?”

“Where are they? Where are Cas and the kids?”

Before either of them could panic further, there was a childish laugh coming from further in the building. Together, they moved, following the sound to its source. They found Castiel, Claire and Jack in one of the few rooms close to the hall that they’d cleaned out a little while back. Dean and Benny stood in the doorway, watching as the room was literally transformed, as a nest was made in one corner with piles of pillows and blankets that had been kept cleaned for no other reason than that Castiel had had nothing to do.

It came in handy now, as Jack giggled again, jumping into the pile and launching the pillows and even Claire looked more… relaxed.

Then Castiel looked up and caught their eyes, grinning at them. “Dean, Benny,” he said, his voice a welcoming sigh as he strode across the room, taking one each of their hands in his. Benny relaxed, seeing that Castiel had been drawn out of his shell, somehow, and even Claire seemed less suspicious than before.

He leaned in, meeting them for a kiss, soft and chaste, then pulled back. “I thought it would be good to give Jack and Claire their own rooms. They’ve decided to stick together for now, and I know how they feel. I was wondering – “

“What is it, cher?” Benny asked, bringing a hand up to cup Cas’s jaw and nudge his head back up to meet Benny’s eyes.

“If we’re not the only ones here any longer, then perhaps we might want our own room as well, free the hall to be what it had once been meant to be – a communal area to work and play,” Castiel suggested. “If… if you’re all right with that?”

“Why wouldn’t we be?” Benny asked.

Beside him, Dean nodded. “This is your home, Cas, and we’ll follow your lead. And uh, I think having some privacy for certain _things_ – away from impressionable little eyes – _might_ be in everyone’s best interest, if you know what I mean.”

There was an indelicate cough and a loud, “Ewww,” from behind Cas and Benny had to stifle his snort. He looked past Cas to find Jack staring out of the nest with wide eyes and a bemused grin while Claire rolled hers, her lips twitching in a smile she was refusing to share, hands crossed over her chest in mock stoicism.

Claire, he thought, was all heart, with a protective streak a mile wide. It showed in the way she watched Jack, kept herself between Jack and danger, the way she’d been ready to defend them with just a knife last night. It might take a while to get her to really relax around them, but he thought she might just fit in when she did.

“Hey, how’d you win miss grumpy pants over?” Dean asked Cas. “I was certain she was going to give us the stink eye for months.”

“What?” Claire almost shrieked. Benny laughed and shook his head.

“You sure do have a way with words,” he said, clapping Dean on the shoulder. “I’ll see about lunch if you and Cas want to do the honors of picking out a room.”


	8. Epilogue

#  EPILOGUE

* * *

It was almost a full turn of the seasons since Benny and Dean had stumbled into the ruins of Castiel’s home and the transformation it had undergone was…

Castiel still didn’t quite understand what happened. He loped between buildings, all undergoing repairs at various stages, watching as people and children and wolves alike wandered about on different tasks, or even no tasks at all.

After so many years alone, Dean and Benny had been like the dam that broke, and people had started to trickle in, in twos and threes and sometimes more. People who’d left a bad pack, or been kicked out. People who’d been searching for something else. Packs that had broken apart for whatever reason and scattered to the four winds, some of them ending up here.

It was a lot, all at once, and Castiel wondered how this hadn’t happened sooner as he’d continued to watch the influx of people that had found his home. He tended to worry, remembering what had happened to his original pack, wondered about the bad ones left behind like Benny had. Because those things, those people – they were still out there. What would keep them from coming back and destroying everything again?

What would keep them from ripping away the new pack that had formed around him?

Castiel nearly stumbled on his way into the hall at the thought. He hadn’t wanted a new pack, after the loss of his old one. He would have been content with just Dean and Benny, in not being  _ alone _ anymore. And then this had happened. How had he not realized that he’d gained a new pack after all? Maybe it had been inevitable, with the arrival of Jack and Claire. With every new person that had been allowed to stay, Castiel should have realized what was going on and yet somehow, the realization had evaded him till this very moment.

They’d been too caught up in living, in fixing first rooms and then buildings, with dividing up chores and making sure everyone was doing all right. Expanding the gardens and teaching folks how to work in them, to weed and plant.. Helping people to adjust and learn about each other and their new home, the surrounding geography. The best places to hunt, and which places were dangerous.

It was a lot, and it was never-ending and it was no longer chores for the sake of having something to do. It was  _ more _ , now. It  _ meant  _ more.

A few select folks still lived in the rooms behind the hall – Dean, Castiel and Benny, Claire and Jack, Sam and Bobby – but there were others, now, so  _ many  _ others.

The change had been good for him, Castiel knew. But some days, it was all so very overwhelming and he would have to hide from everyone, including Dean and Benny. There’d been a room, next to the one they claimed to share with each other, that they’d set aside just for Castiel when those days happened. He’d feared they would be upset when those days happened but they were, as usual, understanding and loving.

They knew when to leave him be, and when to coax him back to bed for cuddling or something more. They knew when touch was too much, or when it was what he desperately needed.

Sometimes Castiel still startled awake at night, forgetting that he wasn’t alone, from dreams where they were there and then dissolved away into nothingness and he’d gasp and shake –

And then they would wake and murmur to him, all sleepy warm limbs grasping and pulling him back down to them and he’d cling till the nightmares and the chill in his bones went away.

Castiel still didn’t know how it happened, a pack forming out of nothing, out of the bones of his old one, but he wasn’t alone anymore. He hadn’t been looking for it, hadn’t wanted it, but now that he had it –

There was no regretting, no going back.

He would never give them up – even if another pack came to tear this life away, he’d fight them for it, and he knew he wasn’t the only one who felt that way.

They’d fight and Castiel had the feeling that this time, they’d win.

* * *

#  BONUS SCENE

* * *

Spring was just beginning to show, and Benny putting in the last of the windows, when a sound from outside had nearly all of them freezing in place.

Castiel immediately gathered Claire and Jack to his side, hushing them and herding them to the back of the hall, ready to duck into the passages that wound behind it. Benny put down his tools and edged towards the main doors with Dean at his side. At one of the smaller windows, Dean peered out, a knife held at the ready, Benny with his head cocked, listening.

“Two people, talking,” Benny whispered. Dean nodded and angled his head – and then he was out the door before Benny could grab him. “For Moon’s sake,” Benny groaned. He charged out after Dean, watching Dean running towards a tall, gangly kid and an older gentleman.

“Sam? Bobby?” Dean’s voice was colored with disbelief and Benny blinked in his own shock. He knew those names.

“Dean!” The gangly kid threw himself at Dean and Benny had to hold back the growl. If they were Dean’s family – he knew Dean loved them, that Sam was Dean’s brother, but they’d allowed him to be kicked out of his pack, for no damn good reason.

Benny planted himself in the doorway with a scowl, arms crossed over each other.

“What are you doing here?” Dean asked.

“Looking for you, boy,” the older man said. “We were just waitin’ on Sam being old enough to leave.”

“He made the shift?” Dean asked excitedly, holding Sam out at arms’ length with a grin.

“I did,” Sam agreed, his smile slipping. “I’m sorry that you never…”

Dean laughed, startling the other two, who had clearly not expected that sort of reaction. “Actually, I have.”

Sam’s face lit up. “Really? Dean, that’s great! I’m so happy for you!” The kid threw his arms back around Dean and Dean laughed, hugging him hard. “That means you can come home.”

Benny  _ did  _ growl then, at the idea of anyone taking Dean anywhere, especially someplace that didn’t appreciate him to begin with.

“So what, he’s worth somethin’ now he can shift? Where were you when he couldn’t?” Benny snarled.

“Everybody just calm down,” Bobby said. “Ain’t nobody going anywhere they don’t want, ‘specially not back to the pack we just left.”

“Wait, you’re not going back?” Dean asked cautiously.

Sam hesitated, then sighed and hung his head. “No, Bobby’s right. There’s no going back now. Dad’s gone a little over the bend. Tossing you out, that was our last straw, but he’s been worse since you left. I don’t think anyone appreciated how much you kept him in check.”

“I think somebody  _ did _ ,” Benny drawled. “Seein’ as how someone was making sure Dean couldn’t be a wolf, tried to make him look worthless in the eyes of your pack for it. There anyone there that you think mighta had something to do with it?”

Sam shook his head but Bobby grunted. “Figures. I told John they were bad news when they showed up.”

“Who?”

“Gordon, for one,” Bobby said. “Magnus, for another. I’m thinkin’ it was Magnus’s doing. Seems like his style.”

“I never did like them,” Dean said darkly. “Should have known.” He shook his head. “Bobby, Sam, this is Benny. Come on inside, let me introduce you to the others.”

Benny grasped Dean’s shoulder, getting Dean to meet his eyes. “Wait, cher, let me talk to Cas, first,” he said quietly. Dean’s eyes went wide, but he nodded, seeing the wisdom of that. Benny slipped inside, closing the door firmly behind him and looking across the hall to where Castiel was waiting anxiously, the kids hovering in the doorway that led deeper in.

“Where’s Dean? What’s going on?” Castiel demanded, panic tinging his voice. Benny crossed the room quickly and took Cas in his arms. 

“It’s okay, cher,” Benny murmured. “Some o’ Dean’s family left their pack an’ came lookin’ for him.”

“Are they taking Dean away?” Jack piped in, his voice scared, eyes wide. 

Benny shook his head. “No they aren’t. Even if they wanted to, it wouldn’t happen.  _ We’re _ Dean’s family now. But they aren’t here for that, I promise. They just been waitin’ till it was safe to come after Dean, and it looks like they don’t have anywhere left to go.” 

“Oh,” Cas said simply, his own grip tightening around Benny. He was quiet a long, long time and Benny let him.

“This is your place, Cas, we can chase ‘em off,” Benny said gently. 

“No,” Cas said, pulling away, though not far. “No, it’s  _ our  _ place, and if  _ Dean  _ is okay with them, even after… Well, if  _ Dean  _ wants them to stay, then of course they can stay. Just the same for you, if someone you cared for came after you.”

Shaking his head again, Benny couldn’t help but look at Castiel in awe. “You have a real big heart, both you and Dean do,” he said. Cas blushed but didn’t refute it. Instead, he stepped out of Benny’s arms and headed for the door.

“Let’s welcome them home,” Cas said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we are! The end! The Bonus Scene was built out of a deleted scene that i trashed a few hundred words to, edited and then added an entirely new chunk on. Hope you like! And make sure to check out the link for the artwork and tell JenniferB how cool it was!!!


End file.
